35th annual Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony | May 4, 2023 Ohio Attorney General 2023-05-10 | Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, members of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, and law enforcement officers from throughout the state paid tribute today to eight Ohio peace officers– eight heroes – who died in the line of duty in the past several years.“Each of them defended our society and its values against those who seek to steal, kill and destroy,” Yost said during his remarks at the 35th annual Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony in London. “And everything we have today is here because they safeguarded these things with their lives. “In return,” the attorney general continued, “we promise them, ‘You will not be forgotten.’ And we carve that promise in stone, as you can see in this great ‘Circle of Heroes.’ ”The Circle of Heroes was a reference to the Ohio Fallen Officers Memorial Wall – a solemn and sacred presence on the grounds of the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy – which bears the names of all 829 Ohio peace officers who since 1823 have sacrificed their lives in service to the public.“The promise that we make to fallen officers – to keep their memories alive – is not only for them,” Yost said. “We do it for the officers and deputies who stand and serve now. We do this so that all of them know how much we value them, and their mission, and their courage.”The names of 15 heroes were added to the wall this year, including eight who died in 2022, 2021 or 2020. The other seven are historical honorees, including six Dayton police officers who died of the Spanish flu in the early 1900s.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Law-Enforcement/Ohio-Peace-Officer-Training-Academy/Fallen-Officers-Memorial
FALLEN OFFICER MEMORIAL 2023: Officer Kenneth C. Jones, Akron PD Ohio Attorney General 2023-05-05 | ...
FALLEN OFFICER MEMORIAL 2023: Officer Edward Stewart, Akron PD Ohio Attorney General 2023-05-05 | ...
FALLEN OFFICER MEMORIAL 2023: Patrolman Sean. E VanDenberg, Lawrence Twp PD Ohio Attorney General 2023-05-05 | ...
FALLEN OFFICER MEMORIAL 2023: Deputy Robert C. Mills, Butler Co SO Ohio Attorney General 2023-05-05 | ...
FALLEN OFFICER MEMORIAL 2023: Medina County Agent John D. Stayrook Ohio Attorney General 2023-05-05 | ...
FALLEN OFFICER MEMORIAL 2023: Officer Dominic M. Francis, Bluffton PD Ohio Attorney General 2023-05-05 | ...
FALLEN OFFICER MEMORIAL 2023: Deputy Matthew E. Yates, Clark Co. SO Ohio Attorney General 2023-05-05 | ...
FALLEN OFFICER MEMORIAL 2023: Deputy Daniel J. Kin, Wyandot Co SO Ohio Attorney General 2023-05-05 | ...
Pickaway County John Doe Identified Through DNA: Unidentified Human Remains Discovered in 1991 Ohio Attorney General 2022-12-13 | CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today joined Pickaway County Sheriff Matthew O. Hafey to announce that human remains discovered 31 years ago have been identified as Robert A. Mullins of Columbus.On Nov. 1, 1991, hunters found skeletal remains in a shallow grave beside a private farm lane on the north side of State Route 56 east, just west of State Route 159.Initially, the remains were believed to be those of an Indigenous American. However, further review by anthropologists determined that the remains had been in the ground for no more than three years and were possibly those of a female, approximately 25 years of age and of small stature, with an estimated height between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 4 inches.“Thirty-one Christmases have gone by while this family waited for answers,” Yost said. “When the results weren’t immediate and the case grew cool, Pickaway County law enforcement dug in their heels and kept trying until the evolution of DNA technology finally yielded an identity for John Doe.”Over the last three decades, investigators from the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office and the Pickaway County Coroner’s Office continued to pursue the case as advances in DNA technology regularly opened up new possibilities for identification:• In 2012, the remains were tested at the University of North Texas, where scientists extracted DNA and determined that the individual was male.• In 2019, BCI was requested by the coroner’s office to assist and opened an unidentified human remains case, which was able to extract enough DNA from the original bones for advanced testing.• In 2021, investigators turned their focus to genetic genealogy as a method to identify John Doe.• In January 2022, the sheriff’s and coroner’s offices contracted with AdvanceDNA, which uploaded the DNA profile into Family Tree DNA and GEDmatch databases.• On Nov 1, 2022, exactly 31 years from the date of discovery, AdvanceDNA provided Pickaway County officials a strong lead of John Doe’s identity.• In December, Mullins’ family members were consulted and provided a DNA sample for comparison, which provided final verification of his identityMullins’ family reported that he went missing in late 1988 or early 1989 at age 21. He was 5 feet 3 inches and lived on the northeast side of Columbus.Sheriff Hafey noted the commitment that his late predecessor, Sheriff Dwight Radliff, invested in the case: “He told us, ‘We are all duty-bound – police officers and citizens alike – to determine this [individual’s] identity and the circumstances of [their] demise.’”The case remains an open homicide investigation with the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Lt. Jonathan Strawser at (740) 474-2176.–30–
Statewide Sweep Combats Demand for Human Trafficking Ohio Attorney General 2022-08-22 | (COLUMBUS, Ohio) — A weekend human-trafficking operation involving 98 law enforcement agencies across the state ended in the arrests of 35 “johns” seeking to buy sex and 21 others seeking to buy sex from minors, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today."On my watch, those who keep human traffickers in business are going to pay a price along with the traffickers themselves,” Yost said. “My office, with the vital help of our many law enforcement partners, is committed to going after the demand side of this contemptible exploitation of vulnerable young women and girls.”“Operation Time’s Up,” coordinated under AG Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigation Commission, targeted the demand for human trafficking with a series of stings aimed at arresting buyers of sex, commonly called johns.The sweep also coincided with the culmination of an investigation of illicit massage parlors in Cleveland and a statewide search for missing children by the U.S. Marshals Service.
AG Yost comments regarding Roe v. Wade being overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court Ohio Attorney General 2022-06-24 | ...
AG Yosts remarks at the annual Officers Memorial Ceremony | May 5, 2022 Ohio Attorney General 2022-05-16 | ...
AG Dave Yosts remarks at the annual Two Days in May conference | May 9, 2022 Ohio Attorney General 2022-05-12 | ...
Operation Ohio Knows Press Conference | October 4, 2021 | Statehouse Atrium Ohio Attorney General 2021-10-04 | ...
Ohio AG Dave Yost and Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron team up for Human Trafficking PSA Ohio Attorney General 2021-09-03 | ...
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Provides Updates on OneOhio Opioid Settlement Ohio Attorney General 2021-08-13 | ...
Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony 2021 (full program including Honor Roll Call) Ohio Attorney General 2021-05-18 | ...
Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony 2021 Ohio Attorney General 2021-05-06 | A copy of the livestream broadcast of the 2021 Ohio Peace Officer's Memorial Ceremony on May 6, 2021 at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy in London, Ohio.Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, members of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, and law enforcement officers from throughout the state gathered today for the 33rd annual Ohio Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony to honor the 809 Ohio officers who have died in the line of duty since 1823."The sacrifice these brave men and women made to protect us all from harm can never be fully repaid, so it is our duty to honor them and never forget them,” Yost said. “They took an oath and followed it until the end, and they will forever be remembered as heroes.”Honored at today’s ceremony were those who died in 2019 and 2020:William L. Brewer Jr., Clermont County Sheriff’s OfficeJorge R. Del Rio, Dayton Police DepartmentOfficer Anthony Dia, Toledo Police DepartmentOfficer Kaia LaFay Grant, Springdale Police DepartmentAdam McMillan, Hamilton County Sheriff’s OfficeJames M. Skernivitz, Cleveland Police DepartmentOfficer Dale J. Woods, Colerain Township Police DepartmentThere were also three historical inductions during this year’s event:Patrolman Charles William Giles, Ironton Police Department, End of Watch: Nov. 26, 1988Police Officer Claude McCormick, Oakwood Public Safety Department, End of Watch: Aug. 29, 1933Special Policeman William T. Hyatt, Wellsville Police Department, End of Watch: Feb. 25, 1923
AG Yost talks about Operation 614 Ohio Attorney General 2021-04-19 | Operation 614, coordinated through AG Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, encompassed more than 20 law enforcement agencies and nongovernmental partners to address issues that fuel sex trafficking in central Ohio.“Operation 614 is the latest in a long series of efforts to push back against human trafficking in Ohio,” Yost said. “I am so proud of our law enforcement partners, who with their boots on the ground, made this operation a success. We all look forward to that day when no person is bought or sold for sex in Ohio.”The operation, carried out in Columbus and surrounding suburbs included:• Identifying victims of human trafficking and referring them to social services.• Apprehending those seeking to have sex with a minor.• Arresting male johns seeking to buy sex.In total, 53 victims were identified and referred to services and 93 arrests were made.For the first time in Ohio, those seeking to purchase sex were charged with engaging in prostitution, a misdemeanor of the first degree. This charge was created under House Bill 431, which became effective on Monday, April 12. Under the new law, an offender will be required to attend an education or treatment program aimed at preventing a person from inducing, enticing or procuring another to engage in sexual activity for hire.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Announces Success of Statewide Anti-Human Trafficking Operation Ohio Attorney General 2021-04-01 | Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost joined federal, state and local law enforcement partners to announce the success of a statewide anti-human trafficking operation.Operation Autumn Hope, coordinated through AG Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, encompassed more than 50 law enforcement agencies and non-government partners to break the cycle that fuels sex trafficking across the state. The broad-based effort, carried out in various parts of the state simultaneously, identified four priorities: Rescuing victims of human trafficking and referring them to social services Recovering missing and exploited children Apprehending those seeking to have sex with a minor Arresting male johns seeking to buy sex“The success of Operation Autumn Hope is measured not only in the number of arrests but in the lives that were rescued from this evil,” Yost said. “Every agency on this team looks for the day when no person is bought and sold in Ohio. Don’t buy sex in Ohio!”
Cold Case Solved Ohio Attorney General 2021-03-03 | Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Reynoldsburg Division of Police Chief Curtis Baker today announced that forensic testing has solved the 1974 killing of a 15-year-old girl.Lori Nesson, an honors student at Columbus’ Eastmoor High School, was found deceased on Sept. 28, 1974, on the west side of Reynoldsburg. She had last been seen after a school football game the night before. Constrained by the technology available at the time, the case grew cold as investigators were unable to figure out what had happened to Lori.
AG Yost Reaches $24.7 Million Settlement with Consultant that Fueled Opioid Epidemic Ohio Attorney General 2021-02-04 | Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has agreed to a settlement with McKinsey & Co. that will pour more than $24 million into communities to help combat the devastating effects of an opioid epidemic that has ripped apart communities and families throughout the state.
AG Yost, Bipartisan Group of Prosecutors Address No-Knock Warrants Ohio Attorney General 2020-10-16 | ...
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Addresses Early Voting Election Concerns Ohio Attorney General 2020-10-13 | ...
SCOPE: Genetic Study Reaches 100-Patient Milestone, October 2020 Ohio Attorney General 2020-10-09 | Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost recently announced an enrollment milestone reached in the genetic study of opioid use disorder undertaken by his Scientific Committee on Opioid Prevention and Education (SCOPE). SCOPE began work on the unprecedented study last year, aiming to identify the genetic factors that make some individuals more susceptible than others to developing an opioid addiction.To mark the 100-patient milestone, the study’s leaders discuss the project and its processes in this presentation.
