Cuyahoga County DNA unit identifies 7 suspects in cold cases rapes

Cleveland, Ohio – Cuyahoga county deputies arrested a man on Friday and accused him of raping a woman 30 years ago.

Edmund Scott is the seventh suspect recently identified through Sophisticated DNA investigation techniques In connection with sexual aggression with cold cases from Cleveland, authorities said.

Scott has led to a 28 -year -old woman while walking near East 105th Street and St. Clair Avenue from Cleveland, on November 13, 1995, according to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor. After asking her the woman if she could go next to her, Scott, from Ravenna, took her neck, pushed her down and became sexually assaulted, prosecutors said. Then ran away.

A passerby, who noticed that the victim was shaken and crying, went home, prosecutors said. The woman called 911 and was transported to a hospital where a sexual aggression kit was collected.

A unique DNA profile was developed from the kit, but did not produce any leadership in the state offenders or in the national database.

A few days before the status of the limitations was expired in 2015, the prosecutors brought the case of a great jury, which accused the suspect that “John Doe #100”.

The profile was subjected to the Ohio General Prosecutor’s Office for advanced family DNA analyzes. Seeking the DNA of relatives in the national database and by additional forensic analyzes and DNA comparisons, investigators have found that the profile belongs to Scott, which is 54 years old, prosecutors said.

The initial indictment has been modified to name Scott.

“The victims of crime will not be forgotten in Cuyahoga County, and my office together with our partners to apply the law will continue to fight every day to provide them with answers and justice,” prosecutor Michael O’malley said in a statement.

By O’malley’s work Genetic operations that connect DNA The unit (gold) and the Ohio Criminal Investigation Bureau, prosecutors said that five other rape suspects with cold cases were recently identified by family DNA searches.

Another suspect was found by forensic genetic genealogy. O’malley’s unit is working with Firebird Forensics, founded by the genealogist who helped identify the Golden State killer, to identify suspects by cross -reference of DNA profiles with commercial DNA databases to develop family trees.

An indictment that loads a DNA profile belonging to Bruce Williams was changed last week to reflect his name, prosecutors said. It was identified by forensic genetic genealogy.

On January 29, 1994, Williams assaulted a 21-year-old woman in Cleveland, after getting from a bus near East 131st Street and Corlett Avenue, according to prosecutors.

The victim was going to her first day of work to a new job. Williams forced a woman to Knifepoint behind a school and sexually assaulted it, then fled from the scene, prosecutors said. The victim called the police and a sexual aggression kit was collected after being transported to a hospital.

On September 25, 1995, Williams sexually assaulted another woman while waiting to enter a shelter near East 30th Street and Euclid Avenue, prosecutors said.

Williams died on September 30, 2017, when he was 53 years old. Accusations against him – including seven charges of rape and two charges of kidnapping – were rejected.

Other suspects identified by family DNA searches:

⋅ On June 11, 1996, two men approached an 18-year-old woman waiting for a bus near the West 98th Street and Lorain Avenue in Cleveland. They offered them a walk and led it to a abandoned house, where they agreed it.

Authorities have identified one of the attackers like Steven Ward, 53 years old. He was prosecuted in 2017. The DNA profile of the second suspect was subjected to the Attorney General to test the family DNA.

Prosecutors said the profile belongs to Douglas Freeman, 61 years old, from Cleveland. He was arrested in November under charges of rape.

⋅ On April 13, 2012, a 22 -year -old woman participated in a party with friends near Denison Avenue and West 69th Street in Cleveland. Two men offered him a drink that made them feel paralyzed and later agreed it.

DNA profiles from men have been developed from a sexual aggression kit. The Office of the Attorney General was able to connect one of the profiles to Ellis Williams, 35, from Cleveland, according to prosecutors. He was arrested in November under charges of rape. The second suspect was not identified.

⋅ On October 4, 1995, two men forced a 19 -year -old woman in their car at the point near East 110th Street and St. Clair Avenue from Cleveland. They led to a motel on Euclid Avenue, where one of the men sexually assaulted the victim.

Investigators connected the DNA profile of a suspect to Darn Eiland, 54, according to prosecutors. He was arrested under charges of rape, kidnapping and robbery in December.

⋅ On May 17, 1998, a 26-year-old woman who was going to Old River Road in the center of Cleveland was grabbed by a man and forced into a semi-trailer, where she was beaten and sexually assaulted.

Investigators connected the suspect’s DNA profile to Gary Tennyson, according to prosecutors. Tennyson was in a car accident four months after the attack and died at 28.

⋅ On August 15, 2012, a 24-year-old woman left a family meeting in a place near Urbana Road and Euclid Avenue to sleep in her car back seat. A man entered the vehicle and became sexually assaulted before running away from the scene.

Investigators connected the Suspect’s DNA profile to Vinson Miller, 39, from Cleveland, according to prosecutors. Miller was arrested in December under charges of rape.

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