The Plain Dealer: Cleveland Heights Officials Tell the Newspaper More About How it Handled Rape Evidence

In light of the recent discovery that Cleveland Heights police did not test rape evidence that was later linked to Anthony Sowell, who is suspected of kidnapping and killing 11 women, The Plain Dealer asked for more information about how the city investigates and handles all sexual assault cases.

The Plain Dealer reported on May 13 that evidence from a rape that occurred in Cleveland Heights in April 2009 was never tested by police and matches Sowell's DNA. 

The city . Cleveland Heights Law Director John Gibbon said the information could be used as evidence in Sowell's trial, which began June 6, and releasing it publicly could negatively impact the proceedings, according to the article. 

"The City is unwilling to produce these records at this time in light of the 5/7/2010 Order of Judge Richard Ambrose in the case of State of Ohio v. Anthony Sowell," Gibbon said after each request, according to The Plain Dealer, including one for statistics of the number of sexual assaults in Cleveland Heights. 

According to an article published in The Plain Dealer today, the city's request was denied, and Gibbon provided more information about how the 2009 rape kit was handled.

Cleveland Heights police said they didn't realize they had the evidence, and admitted they never tested it. Read the full story on The Plain Dealer's website.