72-year-old man now charged with 1997 rape of Brooklyn child

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Cuyahoga County prosecutors mentioned DNA has now linked a 72-year-old Decrease Salem, OH man to the 1997 rape of a nine-year-old boy in Brooklyn.

Dennis Gribble pleaded not responsible at his arraignment in Cuyahoga County Court docket of Widespread Pleas Tuesday. He’s now below GPS monitoring on home arrest, based on courtroom paperwork.

In accordance with Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley, his workplace’s Genetic Operations Linking DNA (G.O.L.D) Unit tracked down Gribble, beforehand often known as John Doe #147.

“I want to thank our G.O.L.D. Unit and all of our company companions that assisted in lastly bringing justice to the sufferer on this actually horrific case,” mentioned Prosecutor O’Malley. “I might particularly prefer to thank Dr. Lewis Maddox and his staff on the Ohio BCI’s DNA lab in Richfield led by Kristen Slaper for working tirelessly to resolve these circumstances. This case hits particularly near house as I used to be a long-time resident of this neighborhood. I stay up for persevering with to deliver justice and closure to the victims of all of those chilly circumstances.”

The nine-year-old boy was attacked on Aug. 8. 1997.

Prosecutor O’Malley mentioned the kid was strolling alone across the woods close to North Amber Drive and Plainfield Avenue in Brooklyn when he noticed Gribble.

Gribble allegedly informed him his son was using round on a mud bike and he wanted assist discovering a fuel can.

Gribble then allegedly led the kid additional into the woods and sexually assaulted him.

Brooklyn law enforcement officials transported the boy to a neighborhood hospital the place a sexual assault package proof was collected.

In 2021, that proof was submitted to Gene by Gene, a family tree vendor working with the G.O.L.D Unit and Prosecutor O’Malley mentioned Gribble’s DNA was related to the assault.

Investigators then obtained Gribble’s DNA and despatched it to the Bureau of Legal Investigation (BCI) to be examined, the place it got here again as a optimistic match, mentioned Prosecutor O’Malley.

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