DNA testing opening up old criminal cases

Oklahoma has a new law that lets police take rape cases to court, even if the statute of limitations has expired. <br><br>The law says any case with DNA evidence that wasn't tested before, is now

Thursday, September 5th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Oklahoma has a new law that lets police take rape cases to court, even if the statute of limitations has expired.

The law says any case with DNA evidence that wasn't tested before, is now free game to be prosecuted, no matter how long ago, the crime occurred. A new DNA database allows police to take DNA from blood, hair or semen and compare it to thousands of possible suspects.

Tulsa Police officer Sgt Gary Stansill says they already got a match on one suspect. â€œItâ€™s an old case where the statute of limitations had run out and now, with the new law that's retro, we can prosecute it."

Tulsa sex crimes detectives are re-opening 50, unsolved, stranger rapes by using DNA and the new database. The new law went into effect September 1st.