By Sharon Coolidge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A 71-year-old Pleasant Ridge woman said she felt "sheer relief" when a Hamilton County jury convicted Timothy Ferguson on Tuesday of attacking her and raping three other women in Pleasant Ridge, Golf Manor and Roselawn over the last decade.

"My neighbors and I are all relieved," said the woman, who asked not to be identified.

Jurors found Ferguson, 44, of Pleasant Ridge, guilty of five charges of rape, one attempted rape, four charges of burglary and three charges of robbery related to the rapes of four women between 1993 and 2003. Jurors found Ferguson innocent in the rape and robbery of a sixth woman.

Prosecutors dropped charges relating to a fifth victim who died before the trial. Her death was not related to the alleged attack.

Ferguson did not testify.

The trial hinged on DNA. The rapist left DNA evidence at all but one crime scene. But authorities did not have anything to match the DNA against, until investigators followed Ferguson and picked up a cigarette butt that he threw down. Officials extracted DNA from saliva left on the butt. That sample matched with the DNA pulled from the earlier crime scenes.

Ferguson is facing 130 years in prison when sentenced next month.

E-mail scoolidge@enquirer.com