FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio — The Columbus Division of Police arrested and charged a suspect in connection to an unsolved case that dates back 30 years.
In July 1994, a 20-year-old woman was raped at her home in Columbus, but investigators were never able to identify a suspect, the Franklin County prosecutor's office said.
With Ohio's 20-year statute of limitations for sex crimes, prosecutors in 2013 indicted the suspect using a placeholder name of "John Doe" and his DNA profile to keep the case open until the suspect could be identified.
Earlier this month, investigators matched the DNA with 53-year-old Anthony Shinaul, allowing the prosecutor's office to amend the 2013 indictment.
Shinaul is charged with aggravated burglary, kidnapping and three counts of rape.
"We were thinking outside the box trying to preserve for the victim if we could ever identify the suspect in this case and luckily it looks like we did," said former Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien.
O'Brien's foresight is allowing a rape victim a chance at justice 30 years later.
"Otherwise the statute of limitations would have been gone if we didn't try this experiment of getting people under the name of John Doe but describing them with their DNA profile," he said.
Dan Meyer, director of special victims units at the Franklin County prosecutor's office, said the case was already indicted and there was already a warrant out for the arrest of "John Doe." This made it so everything was in place if a suspect was ever found.
"I am thankful for the prior prosecutor who had the foresight to start this process and to have faith in the system that maybe one day down the line we will be able to get justice for the victim," said Anthony Pierson, deputy chief counsel for the prosecutor's office.
Shinaul is expected to be arraigned next week.