Dustin Thomas stands trial for 2012 sexual assault at WMU

Dustin Samuel Thomas, a 35-year-old man from North Carolina, has been bound over to stand trial for an alleged first-degree criminal sexual conduct stemming from a 2012 incident at a fraternity house in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The case involves the sexual assault of a then 21-year-old Western Michigan University student at a party during the summer of 2012. Although a sexual assault evidence collection was conducted at that time, the kit was not tested until 2016 and was subsequently referred to the Kalamazoo Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), which began a re-investigation in 2022. Thomas was charged in December 2024, following a preliminary examination on February 21, and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on March 10. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel praised the efforts of the Kalamazoo SAKI team, emphasizing their commitment to delivering justice for survivors even after many years. The SAKI initiative, established in 2016, is currently investigating over 200 cold cases of sexual assault in Kalamazoo County from 1976 to 2015.