On the Job 

Every day, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) is making a difference for law enforcement and the safety and security of Ohio’s families.

In November, my office’s Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) Testing Initiative reached a milestone when it completed DNA testing of the nearly 5,000 sexual assault kits that Cuyahoga County law enforcement submitted to BCI.  Forty law enforcement agencies from the county submitted a total of 4,996 rape kits, with 4,418 kits from the Cleveland Division of Police, alone.

As of December 1, 2016, 548 defendants had been indicted in Cuyahoga County as a result of the testing and follow-up investigations conducted by members of the Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Kit Task Force. Ninety-three percent of Cuyahoga County cases that have reached a final disposition have ended in a conviction.

Throughout the state, 294 law enforcement agencies have submitted 13,931 kits to be tested as part of our initiative. As of January 1, 2017, forensic scientists had completed testing on 12,000 kits, resulting in 4,367 hits in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). 

Now, hundreds of criminals, including many serial rapists, are being held accountable, and Ohio has become a leader in the nation in addressing the issue of untested rape kits.

Another development is highlighted in this issue of Criminal Justice Update.  BCI conducted a familial DNA search — a method never before used in Ohio — to provide an important lead as police investigated the abduction and sexual assault of a 6-year-old girl in Cleveland and the attempted abduction of a 10-year-old girl in Elyria. This effort helped lead to the arrest of a 29-year-old Lorain man in December.

Finally, another story in this CJU provides details on a case in which a forensic artist used a 3-D model of the skull of an unidentified woman to re-create her likeness. (The woman has since been identified.) 

BCI continues to raise the bar in our efforts to help local law enforcement. Advancements in science and technology are helping to solve crimes and bring criminals to justice.
 
Very respectfully yours,
 
Mike DeWine
Ohio Attorney General