Panels hear rape bill testimony

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- House and Senate committees heard testimony Tuesday in favor of removing the statute of limitations on rape prosecutions.

Last year, the Missouri Court of Appeals' Western District interpreted existing state law to impose a three-year deadline on charging someone with rape. In response, legislators filed several bills to make clear that a person can be charged with rape or sodomy at any time after the alleged offense occurs.

No one testified in opposition as the House and Senate Judiciary Committees held hearings on the proposals filed in their respective chambers.

Jackson County Prosecutor Bob Beaird was among nearly a dozen witnesses who testified before the House panel.

Beaird said new technology allows investigators to use DNA samples collected after a rape to solve previously unsolvable crimes. Sometimes, however, it takes years to match the rapist's DNA with his identity, Beaird said.

In the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. John Schneider, D-Florissant, questioned whether removing the statute of limitations on rape would allow a person to claim rape after decades of doing nothing about it.

Proponents of the bill have said that no matter when charges are filed, a prosecutor still needs enough evidence, such as DNA samples, to win a conviction.

Neither committee acted on the bills Tuesday.

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Bills dealing with the statute of limitations for rape are SB650 (Singleton), HB1037 (Monaco), HB1074 (Fraser), HB1188 (Hosmer) and HB1271 (Gratz).