Reno family may not get justice from lawmakers in decades-old rape case

Reno, Nev. (News 4 and Fox 11) — A Reno family is calling on a California lawmaker to pass legislation that could bring justice for Sheri Hebensperger. A woman with special needs who was raped in a nursing home in her youth. However, new developments show that such a regulation may not come.

In 1990, Sheri Hebensperger, then 19 years old and a ward of the state due to her severe mental disability, was living in a house in Garden Grove, California. She gave birth to a son named Travis, who is now 34 and lives in Northern Nevada, south of Reno.

“He always loved me. He always loved me,” Travis Tribby said in a story last July.

Despite the crime, no arrests were made. Now, with advances in DNA technology, the family submitted Travis’ DNA to a company, which led to the suspect being matched and identified. The private detective identified the suspect’s whereabouts.

“I was so grateful. Honestly, I guess you get hopeful, and then you get turned down and when she tells me she found the person. I just, I burst into tears. So I just, I couldn’t believe it,” said Sheri’s sister, Trina Tribby.

But police informed Sheri’s family that the statute of limitations prevented prosecution of a 1990s rape case, despite DNA evidence.

California Assemblyman Juan Alanis, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, expressed his intention in July to propose legislation by December to change the statute of limitations on decades-old rape cases.

“There is no statute of limitations on murders. So why should this be any different? And I think rape should be included in that as well,” Alanis said. “And so as legislators we need to be able to provide the tools available for law enforcement and families to get justice and closure.”

But it now appears that new legislation is unlikely this session. “Making such a change in legislation in light of the changing political landscape is a big hill to climb, but they are trying to make progress before the February 21 deadline for bills to be submitted,” Alanis’ spokesman said.

News 4-Fox 11 will continue to follow this case and bring you the latest developments as they unfold.