Oregon woman’s rape kit finally tested after 12 years

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) – An Oregon woman waited more than a decade for justice after she says she was sexually assaulted. The reason for the long wait: Oregon has a backlog of rape kits waiting to be tested. Now, because of a recently passed law, that roadblock is hopefully being removed.

Audryanna Waldron is 28-years-old sexual assault survivor with three kids and in school studying criminal justice. She’s on a path and she’s going for it, but getting here has been a long road.  “it was very difficult but after a while, it was something I knew I had to move on with,” she said.

12 years ago, at just 15-years-old, her life changed dramatically. She said she asked Ricky Alexander Harrison for a cigarette. That’s when she was sexually assaulted.

Waldron immediately reported it to police, submitted a rape kit, and waited 11 years. Her kit—like thousands of others in Oregon—were stuck in a backlog.

In 2016, Melissa’s Law passed and just last year it was finally tested and Waldron received a call. “They told me they had ran the kit,” she said.

And the Multnomah County District Attorney told KATU News the DNA matched Harrison.

Harrison was indicted on multiple charges of sodomy and sexual assault.

While on the road to justice now, Waldron said it doesn’t take away the years of pain, as she continues to wait. “All these years, I have told myself that if it wasn’t for me asking for the cigarette, that it would have never happened to me. But it wasn’t my fault.”

Right now, Harrison is in Washington State facing a vehicular homicide charge. Apparently, it could be months or even years before he is brought to Portland to face charges there.

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