Cuyahoga Co. ME's use of DNA to solve crimes

Using DNA to identify a rapist can be a race against time, especially if the suspect turns out to be a serial offender.

And Cuyahoga Countys Medical Examiner office plays a part in catching them.

Sexual assault kits are a big part of Cleveland city, so we take a big chunk of those rape kits and do it here, said Dr.NasirButt, Director and Technical Manager for the DNA Lab.

Such was recently the case in Cuyahoga County, with the so-called Early Morning Rapist in Cleveland and Lakewood.

It fell upon the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners office to process the DNA evidence, as does much DNA evidence in the county.

We had that outrageous rape of that walker/jogger at104thand Lake Avenue that was viciously attacked, and we all wanted that solved, said Prosecutor TimMcGinty. We went to the Medical Examiner's office and we asked for help.

Investigators gathered evidence from the victim to assemble a sexual assault kit.

We reexamined the evidence at a rush and found on nontraditional spots some of the clothing within the pockets the robber/rapist had reached into the pockets of the lady in Lakewood as he attacked her,McGintysaid.

And they found skin cells there. Enough skin cells, they hoped, to identify the attacker with DNA.

But, that that would only work if he was a repeat offender. Otherwise, his DNA would not be in the system.

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Cuyahoga Co. ME's use of DNA to solve crimes