An Air Force veteran convicted of aggravated rape last month in a 1988 cold case was sentenced Friday to life in prison.

Jurors unanimously convicted Dartanyan Breaux on April 10 of climbing through a young woman’s window during the Fourth of July weekend 37 years ago, then beating and raping her.

Judge David Ritchie ruled Breaux’s sentence will be served without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

During the trial, the victim told jurors she had lived alone in a four-unit apartment on Gauthier Road when the rape happened. She said as she saw her attacker’s three-stripped Adidas sneaker come through the window, she ran to the kitchen to call police. She heard the dial tone just before she saw the man run towards her.

“I tried to get to the front door. I did open it and screamed but he shut it.” She said the man then threw her to the ground and started punching her.

“He was on top of me, punching my face,” she told jurors. “Then he dragged me to the bathroom, closed the door and locked it.”

Her case sat dormant for more than three decades until the Federal Bureau of Investigation-managed Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) retested the 1988 rape kit, which resulted in a positive finding of seminal fluid from Breaux. CODIS send the match notification to the Louisiana Crime Lab in 2023.

“Thanks to advancements in DNA technology, justice has finally been served in a case that has haunted a survivor for more than three decades. The successful prosecution of this cold case reinforces our unwavering commitment to seeking justice, no matter how much time has passed. We are grateful that the victim now has the closure she so rightfully deserves, and that this predator is finally being held accountable for his heinous crimes,” said Calcasieu Parish District Attorney Stephen Dwight.