The Ohio Supreme Court has heard the appeal of a man who says the state waited too long to charge him with attacking a woman 26 years ago. At the issue is the 2019 arrest of Ralph Bortree for the 1993 attack on a 19-year-old Logan County woman, who was abducted, raped, and left for dead in the rural part of the county. Though the statute of limitations for rape and kidnapping had expired, prosecutors said Bortree could still be charged with attempted aggravated murder. He was found guilty in 2020 of the charge and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Bortree's attorney argues that state law doesn't specifically define a limit for being able to charge his client for attempted aggravated murder and therefore its statute of limitations had expired.
It is unknown when the Ohio Supreme Court will hear make a ruling on the case.
