CODIS HIT LINKS THREE STRANGER RAPES OVER FIVE YEAR TIME SPAN TO THE SAME SUSPECT

Posted on 9/12/2019

Defendant: Tyrone Dee Smith

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said, “This suspect had his DNA collected from a current pending Non-Support of Dependents case (18CR4491) and a CODIS match was received earlier this summer linking this defendant to three unrelated and unsolved stranger rapes.”  Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced that the Franklin County Grand Jury has indicted Tyrone Dee Smith, age 44, in connection to three stranger rapes that occurred between 2013 and 2017 in Franklin County.  Smith has been indicted for one count of Rape with a Firearm Specification (F-1), two counts of Rape (F-1), one count of Kidnapping with a Firearm Specification (F-1), and two counts of Kidnapping (F-1), for a total of six counts.  All three rape victims had sexual assault exams completed following their attacks.  “Police detectives submitted the victim’s sexual assault exam kits to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.  A DNA profile on the rapist was established and entered into CODIS.  Earlier this summer there was a CODIS hit to Tyrone Dee Smith following the DNA submission from his pending Non-Support of Dependents case, which linked him to all three of the unsolved rapes,” O’Brien stated.  Arraignment for Smith will be set in courtroom 2B at 345 S. High Street in downtown Columbus once he has been arrested.