DNA evidence used to catch Logan County man who is contesting his conviction.

DNA evidence used to catch Logan County man who is contesting his conviction.

Genetic technology used by millions to trace their ancestry online helped Logan County law enforcement solve a 26-year-old attempted murder and rape case. The question now is, did they find the suspect too late?

DNA evidence led to the 2019 conviction of Ralph Bortree for a crime committed in 1993. Bortree is asking the Supreme Court of Ohio to vacate his conviction. In oral arguments before the Supreme Court next week, he maintains the statute of limitations to charge him with a crime had long passed.

Crime Fighters Turn to Genealogists

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) made several unsuccessful attempts to match DNA from a 1993 crime victim’s clothing and rape kit to a suspect. A BCI DNA analyst suggested in 2019 that the Logan County Sheriff’s Department retain a “genetic genealogist” to try to find out who raped a 19-year-old woman and slashed her throat.

The analyst noted the technique was expensive, but successful in 2018 in catching the notorious “Golden State Killer.” Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. got the nickname for evading identification for more than four decades. Law enforcement eventually matched his DNA to samples submitted to a genealogy database by individuals seeking information about their heritage. DeAngelo was determined to be…