Ada rape victim speaking out after 12 years, says her rape kit was never processed
ADA, Okla. (KFOR) — An Ada mother is now searching for answers after she says her rape kit was never turned in. She says the suspect who sexually assaulted her is still out there.
News 4 does not usually identify sexual assault victims, but this woman wanted her identity revealed to share her story.
Arron VanBuskirk is now reflecting back to a night in November 2012 when she was raped by a man she considered a friend.
"....Took advantage of me and had sex with me while I was sleeping. We were watching a movie and I was wearing a hoodie, jeans, and I remember going to sleep," says VanBuskirk. "The next morning I woke up and was completely naked. The front door was open and all of his things were gone."
That morning, she reported that she'd been raped to the Ada Police Department.
She was then taken to a hospital to have a rape kit done.
"They [Ada Police Department] told me that the next step was to send it to OSBI and they were going to compare DNA," says VanBuskirk.
She spent years holding on to hope.
"They lied to me. They told me the rape kit was sent in and it was never sent until 12 years later."
She says her young children were home with her when the crime happened.
"I don't know what they saw or knew. I felt like I didn't protect them and let a monster like that inside our home."
In a report, that suspect was interviewed in November 2021. He tells officers he needed to make a confession about something he did inside the city limits of Ada.
The document says the suspect stated that he raped VanBuskirk.
He goes on to making a conflicting statement, claiming he had consensual sex with VanBuskirk, even though she was asleep.
News 4 spoke to Chief Tracy Jackson from the Ada Police Department. He was the former detective on the case.
We asked him why the suspect hasn't been arrested, given that he admitted to raping VanBuskirk in the report.
"He's made some admissions in my opinion, from what I'm being told, is he didn't make a confession." Jackson said. "Now has he came in and said, 'I raped her?' There are certain elements in rape."
He explains that element would be penetration.
VanBuskirk says she knows the truth of what happened and wants justice.
"I'm just not getting any help from the police department. He's been running free for 12 years now," says VanBuskirk.
Chief Jackson says the case is being investigated by federal prosecutors with the Chickasaw Nation District Court. We reached out to them but have not heard back.
We also reached out to OSBI who initially said they weren't asked to assist in the case. After checking back through their records, the bureau told News 4 on Wednesday evening that they received the rape kit in December 2022 and the investigation is still ongoing.
This is a developing story.