HANCOCK COUNTY, Ind. — A Hancock County man was sentenced to 92 years in prison on Thursday for crimes related to raping, kidnapping, and stealing from elderly women. According to a press release from the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office, 60-year-old Samuel L. Patterson was convicted in Febru ary for the sexual assault of a 91-year-old McCordsville woman in June of 2018. He was found guilty on all counts: Two counts of rape (Level 1 Felonies) Burglary (Level 4 Felony) Just three months after this attack, investigators tied Patterson to another sexual assault out of Marion County, the HCPO said. Here, Patterson had raped a 77-year-old woman, and DNA evidence once again confirmed he was the suspect. Samuel L. Patterson booking photo (HCPO) When police dove deeper into Patterson's past, they discovered a pattern of crimes against elderly women. Per the HCPO, he was convicted of rape in 1998, where he sexually assaulted a 79-year-old woman in La Porte County. “These crimes were truly vile, abhorrent, and despicable," said Chief DPA Aimee Herring during Patterson's sentencing. "If you commit these types of heinous crimes in Hancock County, we will do everything we possibly can under the law, with or without the physical presence of the victim, to hold you accountable under the law and seek justice.’’  Adding onto this, Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton said, "The work on this case highlights the effects of the long-term commitment this office, law enforcement, and the Hancock County Community has made to improve our outcome for crime victims. "By working together, we have changed a history of failure to one of prosecution success to hold these violent predators consistently accountable," he continued. The 91-year-old victim died in 2022, the HCPO reported. Despite this, they said they worked to ensure that Patterson received the proper sentence for his crimes. According to online court records, each of Patterson's rape charges results in a 40-year prison term, plus 12 years for his burglary charge. Thus, he faces 92 total years behind bars. ...read more read less