A man who raped a Pacific Beach woman and five others years ago was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison after the judge heard from three victims. Christopher VanBuskirk, 47, did not face the three women and dozens of their friends and family members before San Diego Superior Court Judge Francis Devaney sentenced him.
The Pacific Beach rape and three others in Tierrasanta and Clairemont occurred in 1995, and the rapists’ DNA was saved, which led to charges being filed last year when a DNA match with him was confirmed.
The DNA match also solved two other rapes in Riverside County where VanBuskirk lived in 2002-2004. He lived in San Diego in 1995.
The mother of one victim told VanBuskirk her daughter received a medication during the rape exam that would halt the birth “of your demon child.”
“The fear was nothing like I had ever experienced before,” said another woman who said, “the rapist also stole my spirit.”
“The rapist took much from me, but not everything,” said the woman, who said she developed a stutter and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Devaney turned to VanBuskirk and said the purpose of hearing the women’s testimony was “for you to hear” about the effect of what he had done.
VanBuskirk pleaded guilty Dec. 16 to committing all six rapes, and realized he would be getting a consecutive term of 50 years to life.
Devaney ordered him to register as a sex offender in the event he is paroled, which is unlikely in his lifetime, as he will have to serve almost all of the 50 years first.
He was given credit for serving 342 days in jail since he was arrested in Maricopa County, Arizona, where he worked as a manager of a restaurant. Three members of his family also attended the sentencing.
Deputy District Attorney Martin Doyle said DNA evidence was collected during the rape exams of the victims.
“It’s a great technological innovation,” said Doyle.
The San Diego Police Department worked with an FBI genealogy team and a match was made using a public access genealogical database.
“They put this case together and they did a fine job,” said Doyle.
The Pacific Beach rape occurred in the 1900 block of Missouri Street on Nov. 17, 1995, by a masked man who broke into the woman’s home.