Dr. Frederick Louis Tanzer, a 66-year-old physician linked to several hospitals in the Cincinnati area, is now regarded as “the primary suspect” in a sophisticated and brutal sexual assault from 1989, according to court records. Authorities believe this assailant was a serial rapist.

Tanzer was taken into custody on Wednesday at his residence in Sycamore Township, Ohio. He faces charges for allegedly making false statements to the FBI and awaits a detention hearing set for Monday in federal court in Dayton.

Officials stated that Tanzer has practiced medicine in Ohio, Kansas, and Colorado. He is currently licensed to practice internal medicine, as per state records. There was no attorney listed for him in the court records by late Wednesday.

A complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Dayton reveals that Tanzer was identified as the top suspect earlier this year. At the time of the 1989 assault, he was married to a close friend of the victim, documents indicate.

In April, the FBI monitored Tanzer as he traveled from his home to a Bureau of Motor Vehicles office in Milford, Ohio, where he discarded a Starbucks coffee cup. Forensic analysts later concluded that DNA from this coffee cup matched that from the crime scene of the 1989 assault, according to the complaint.

Condo attack happened after work

The assault commenced around 5 p.m. on August 1, 1989.

The victim had just returned to her condominium after a work day at IBM’s downtown Cincinnati branch.

Upon entering her home, she detected a smell reminiscent of brewed tea or possibly marijuana.

According to the complaint, she proceeded into the dining room and was startled by a man clad entirely in black Lycra, complete with gloves and a mask that concealed his entire face. She screamed, and he responded with a “shhh” sound.

The assailant then seized her by the neck, brandished a knife at her throat, and compelled her into the kitchen, where he had a gym bag.

He forced her into the bedroom, producing white surgical tape from his bag to blindfold her and bind her hands and feet to the bed using items from her dresser.

Throughout the over five-hour assault, the attacker stuffed a cloth in her mouth, allowing her to speak only when she assured him she would not scream. He often wiped away evidence from her body during the ordeal.

‘No police or I’ll return’

The victim managed to sneak a glance at her attacker when he momentarily removed his mask in a different area of the bedroom. She identified him as a white male, roughly 6 feet tall, slender, with dark brown hair, which aligns with descriptions matching Tanzer.

Eventually, he loosened one of her restraints and departed. Afterward, she succeeded in releasing herself and sought help from a neighbor, who then called 911.

Investigators discovered a torn piece of newspaper taped to her bedroom phone with the message: “No police or I’ll be back Mis IBM.”

Over the years, the victim has kept in touch with law enforcement, even hiring private investigators and appearing in media interviews to help generate leads in the cold case.

When questioned by the FBI on Wednesday, court records indicate Tanzer lied about not having seen or engaged with the victim on the day of the incident. After his arrest, he reportedly told someone at his home: “We need to hire a good lawyer. I don’t understand what’s happening.”

Anyone with information regarding the 1989 attack or similar incidents is encouraged to reach out to the FBI.