Preserved DNA evidence has allowed police to solve a 15-year-old sexual assault case in La Crosse, according to a criminal complaint filed Jan. 5 in La Crosse County Circuit Court.
Mitchell Lisowski, 38, Blair, was charged with a single felony count of third-degree sexual assault.
According to the complaint, a woman told La Crosse police in 2007 that she met Lisowski on a Safe Ride bus. She said Lisowski told her he was from Eau Claire, had gotten separated from friends and needed help relocating them.
The woman said she allowed Lisowski into her apartment. After the two started kissing, she said Lisowski made unwanted sexual advances before forcing her into sexual intercourse despite her repeated objections.
The woman went to a local hospital and submitted to a SANE exam. Police collected evidence from the scene, including a condom, and developed a DNA profile of a male but found no matches in state and local data bases.
The complaint says a 2019 Dane County incident led to the DNA match. Lisowski was charged with criminal damage to property, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct but reached a deferred prosecution agreement in 2021. He was dismissed from the program a year later for failing to maintain contact, and the case was reopened.
Lisowski pleaded guilty to two of the charges in April 2022 and was required to give a DNA sample as part of the plea. The La Crosse Police Department was notified in May 2022 that Lisowski’s DNA matched the profile taken from the condom.
Lisowski agreed to meet with police Oct. 26, 2022. The complaint says he waived his Miranda Rights. He told police he traveled often from Eau Claire to La Crosse in 2007 to meet with friends and likely had sexual intercourse with several different women during that span. He said carrying a condom was something he would have done at the time.
The complaint says Lisowski was unable to recall a specific incident about meeting a woman on a bus and heading to her apartment. He told police he was a good person and wouldn’t sexually assault anyone. When police informed him of the DNA match, the complaint says Lisowski began shaking and said, “I’m going to prison.”
Police notified the alleged victim about the DNA match. She told police she didn’t want to pursue charges.
Lisowski is free on a signature bond. His next court date is a Jan. 18 preliminary hearing.
A motorist drives along the Great River Road along I-90 north of La Crescent.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
A view of the Mississippi River from I-90 along the Great River Road.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
A view of the Mississippi River from I-90 along the Great River Road.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
A view of the Mississippi River from Hwy. 61 along the Great River Road.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
A boat is seen on the Mississippi River from Hwy. 61 north of La Crescent.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
A sign for the Great River Road is seen along I-90 north of La Crescent.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
A scenic overlook on the Great River Road along HWY 61 in Minn. offers a view of Perot State Park in Wis. across the Mississippi River.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
A scenic overlook on the Great River Road along HWY 61 in Minn. offers a view of Perot State Park in Wis.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
US Lock and Dam 8 in Genoa, Wis. is among the many landmarks that can be seen when traveling the Great River Road.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
The vast expanse of the Upper Mississippi River is seen from a scenic outlook above Hwy. 35 north of Genoa.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
The vast expanse of the Upper Mississippi River is seen from a scenic outlook above Hwy. 35 north of Genoa.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
Bluffs tower over Hwy. 35 along the Great River Road on the outskirts of Stoddard, Wis.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
Fisherman on the Mississippi River and bluffs in Minnesota beyond are seen from Hwy. 35 south of La Crosse on the Great River Road.
A sign marks the route for the Great River Road along Hwy. 35 in Stoddard, Wis.
Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune
La Crosse Tribune reporter Steve Rundio can be reached at steve.rundio@lee.net.
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