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Susan Smith-Harmon

Susan Smith-Harmon

   Determined not to let the statute of limitations keep them from prosecuting a serial rapist, St. Clair County authorities have charged a suspect identified only by his DNA profile with a 2005 assault in East St. Louis.  

   The profile is linked to four other sexual assault cases between 1997 and 2008.  

   Prosecutors say they to the action in order to file charges before the 10 year statute of limitations runs out.

    Illinois State Police Lt. Dave Wasmuth says he believes the serial rapist will eventually be arrested. "We're just waiting for his DNA to be taken, submitted to the DNA index, and a match will occur, Lt. Wasmuth said.  "And then the warrant would be amended and actually put that person's name on the warrant."

   St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly says the victim, who no longer lives in the St. Louis area, is "happy" that authorities are pursing a conviction so aggressively.

  This is the first time St. Clair County prosecutors have filed charges against a suspect identified only by a DNA profile, but similar legal actions have been taken elsewhere in Illinois.  

   Bail for the unnamed suspect has already been set at $750,000.

 

   ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani officials say gunmen have attacked an election rally in the southern Punjab province and abducted the son of former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

   A police official, Abdul Rehman, says gunmen stormed the rally in the town of Multan, opened fire and seized Ali Haider Gilani on Thursday.

   A Punjab government official, Rao Iftikhar Ahmad, says one of Gilani's guards was killed and five people were wounded in the attack.

   Thursday is the last day of campaigning for Pakistan's election scheduled this Saturday.

   But the race has been marred by a string of violent attacks against candidates and election events.

   A member of the St. Louis Major Case Squad is in FBI custody.  

   Federal agents had asked East St. Louis Detective Orlando Ward to come to the federal building Tuesday afternoon.  A city spokesperson says about 6:00 p.m. Tuesday night the FBI called and asked them to pickup Ward’s police car.  

   There's no word on why Ward was taken into custody or if any charges are pending.

   City officials are very concerned that criminal allegations against Ward could put some convictions in doubt since the long-time detective has been a key investigator in many high profile criminal cases.

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