GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids man has been sentenced to nearly a dozen years behind bars after an abduction cold case in the City of Wyoming occurred more than 20 years ago.
Richard Adams, 46, was sentenced Monday, Dec. 19 after pleading guilty to the Kidnapping and First and Second-degree Criminal Sexual Assault of a 4-year-old girl in 2002.
The girl, Geralynn Rivera, now in her 20s, says she forgives Adams, however he deserves the maximum sentence for the emotional and mental abuse he has caused her and her family.
"I convinced myself he was dead and clearly he's not," said Rivera. "This is better than being dead because now you're going to go down for what you did to me."
In August 2002, Rivera was kidnapped from her apartment at the Amsterdam Gardens Apartment complex on Eastern Avenue and was sexually assaulted.
She was then found almost 20 miles from where she was taken on a stranger's doorstep in northern Kent County.
"You did not let me go, I escaped. There was a difference," said Rivera. "I'm very happy the family was near that area because if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here today."
DNA was recovered from her body and 18 years went by as detectives tried to identify the suspect, but leads ran into dead ends and the case went cold.
Finally, in 2020, there was a DNA match for Adams who was arrested in a separate case in Allegan County.
Kimberly Koster, now Wyoming's Police Chief, was only a detective working the case.
"I was there, I'll never forget. The emotion. The feeling. Just wondering what this poor 4-year-old went through. To be able to stand here today and hug her and tell her she doesn't have to worry for quite some time," said Koster.
Police officers, retired detectives and a retired police chief all appeared in court to support Rivera.
"These police officers never give up on a case and I feel so wonderful for them that all their hard work has paid off to help her start her healing and justice was served today," said former Chief of Police Ed Edwardson.
During sentencing, Adams says he was drunk, blacked out and doesn't know what happened.
"I'm sorry I had this happen, but I'm not a criminally minded type of person. This was out of my personality. It was way out," said Adams.
But Rivera says she remembers what happened vividly, and finally, Adams is being held accountable.
"I'm very happy that the officers were there to help me and to save me. I'm still going through a lot now but this is going to help me heal so much more."
Adams must register as a sex offender and was sentenced to 135 months minimum and 30 years maximum on all three counts.
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