DNA from Kansas man leads to suspect in 1998 rape case, Columbus police say

DNA evidence from a case in Olathe, Kan., linked a former Columbus resident to a sexual assault and burglary 20 years ago near Cusseta Road, Columbus police said.

Sirret Arrington, 45, of Olathe pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and burglary Wednesday in separate cases in Columbus. Despite an argument from defense attorney Ray Tillery to dismiss the burglary charge due to stature of limitations, Recorder’s Court Judge Julius Hunter denied the motion and bound both charges without bond over to Muscogee Superior Court.

Police Sgt. John Bailey of the Special Victims Unit at the Columbus Police Department said local officers were notified in September about a CODIS, or Combined DNA Index System, hit that matched the suspect’s DNA to an April 6, 1998, case in Columbus. Authorities collected the sample from Arrington after he was accused of forcing himself on a co-worker and masturbating on her in February 2018.

A 26-year-old mother went home at 6:45 a.m. after finishing her shift at a nearby gas station. She entered through the back door of her apartment about 7:05 a.m. to grab some clothes for her child who was at a relative’s house and leave.

When she returned to the living room, she found a man standing there. She offered the man $15 she had to leave her apartment but he refused and told her to cooperate.

No weapon was used but the man threatened physical violence, Bailey said. While leaning the 5-foot-2-inch tall woman over the sofa, the man raped the woman.

Police were called minutes after the assault. A rape kit was performed on the victim as part of the investigation.

In a separate incident, a burglary occurred one month later and a half-mile away at a home where a man tried to sell insurance to a woman. The woman said the man came to her house and used the bathroom twice, making her feel uncomfortable.

Tillery questioned Bailey about any other DNA or evidence found at the rape victim’s apartment but there were no hairs, fibers and other items, he said.

Police canvassed the area and a neighbor gave officers the description of a black man. The victim described him as 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall with pink and blue pants, no facial hair. Another neighbor described him as 6 feet to 6 feet, 2 inches tall with the same colored pants.

This story was originally published November 14, 2018 at 5:21 PM.