More than 20 years after allegedly fleeing in the middle of his sexual assault trial, one of Rhode Island’s most wanted fugitives has finally been captured.
Ronald L. Fischer was arrested after authorities intercepted his 56-foot sailboat, The Silver Lining, off the coast of New Jersey, according to statements released Thursday, July 16, by the U.S. Marshals Service and Rhode Island State Police.
The vessel was registered under the name Richard Graydon, one of the aliases Fischer had allegedly been using. Officials said investigators developed fresh leads about his location in the 48 hours before the arrest.
“This arrest demonstrates that time does not erase accountability,” U.S. Marshal Wing Chau said. “For more than twenty years, Ronald Fischer believed he had successfully escaped justice.”
Fischer disappeared from Rhode Island during his 2005 criminal trial and was later convicted in absentia of first-degree sexual assault, authorities said. He also remained wanted on additional charges.
The case centered on allegations from a 46-year-old mother from Westerly, who testified that Fischer attacked her aboard his yacht, The Lion King, while it was docked at a marina in Portsmouth, according to the Providence Journal.
The woman said the alleged assault happened during their first date. Fischer was working as an anesthesiologist at the time.
Shortly before vanishing, Fischer reportedly sent his attorney an email explaining that he planned to flee rather than risk being convicted.
“Although I believe my trial has gone very well and expect to be acquitted and dismissed, the small chance of losing could carry extremely and unacceptably harsh penalties,” Fischer wrote, according to WPRI.
“I have therefore decided not to take the risk and leave the U.S. and enjoy life in another country where I have long been carefully planning a good, safe, secure and comfortable life,” he added.
Rhode Island State Police later described Fischer on its Most Wanted page as a “master yachtsman, a world traveler, and internationally connected,” the Providence Journal reported.
His long-running case also drew national attention, with Fischer featured several times on America’s Most Wanted.
After his arrest at sea, Fischer was taken aboard a U.S. Coast Guard vessel and transported to a Coast Guard station in Staten Island, New York. From there, he was transferred into the custody of Deputy U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement officials.
For more than two decades, Fischer appeared to have vanished. Now, authorities say his life on the run is finally over.
