Russell McLean, 65, was a lecturer in the College of Humanities, Behavioral and Social Sciences of Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Jamaica. He worked at the school for more than 18 years.

McLean is accused of being responsible for several sexual batteries that happened in Margate, Broward County, Florida, United States between June 1996 and November 1997. He allegedly broke into homes and threatened victims with a gun in order to assault them.

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All the victims gave the same description of the suspect but no suspects were identified. In 2007, evidence recovered in a burglary case led to the identification of McLean as a person of interest.

When McLean realized he was being investigated for the crimes, he fled to Jamaica. In 2015, Margate Police Department detective Julio Fernandez reinvestigated the case involving the sexual batteries in Margate between June 1996 and November 1997.

In 2018, Fernandez obtained deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) evidence and compared it to DNA located in rape kits from 1996 and the results concluded that McLean’s DNA was a match. In August 2020, an arrest warrant was issued for McLean.

With the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, McLean was located in Jamaica on May 24, 2022. On July 7, 2022, he was extradited to Broward County.

Currently, McLean is held in the Broward County Jail in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County. He is facing 16 charges including burglary, kidnapping and sexual assault.