Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office announces arrest in 30-year-old rape case

The Columbus Police Department this summer arrested Anthony Shinaul, 53, of Columbus and charged him with aggravated burglary, kidnapping and three counts of rape in connection with an unsolved case that dates back 30 years.

In July 1994, a 20-year-old woman was raped at her residence in Columbus, but investigators were never able to identify the perpetrator. With Ohio’s 20-year statute of limitations for sex crimes approaching, prosecutors in 2013 indicted the defendant using a placeholder name and his DNA profile in order to keep the case open until a suspect could be identified.

In June 2024, investigators matched the crime-scene DNA with Shinaul, allowing the prosecutor’s office to amend the 2013 indictment.

“It’s been 30 years since this crime was committed, and we finally have the chance to bring the perpetrator to justice,” said Anthony Pierson, deputy chief counsel for the prosecutor’s office. “I am thankful to our investigative team for using DNA technology to hold this defendant accountable for his crimes.”

An indictment is merely a charge and is not evidence of guilt.

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