COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has finished testing 14,000 rape kits from across the state and has begun helping police pursue suspects identified by that evidence.
BCI says the agency has tested and returned kits to nearly every police department in Ohio. More than 4,400 kits have been returned to Cleveland, 1,432 to Akron and 482 to Columbus.
WBNS-TV reports BCI has formed a task force to help police in Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland, while another will be formed in Summit County, which includes Akron, to search for assailants.
BCI Superintendent Joe Morbitzer says the Ohio Attorney General's Office has formed a cold case squad to helper smaller departments with resources they need to arrest and prosecute sexual assault suspects.