Arrest Made in 2011 Jefferson County Rape Investigation

Familial DNA investigative techniques were used to identify the suspect.

Craig Long. Photo provided.

(Jennings County, Ind.) - A Switzerland County man was arrested on Wednesday following a 13-year investigation. 

Craig S. Long, 37, is charged with two counts of Rape (Class A Felony), two counts of Burglary (Class A Felony), and one county of Aggravated Battery (Class B Felony). 

In July 2011, Indiana State Police began investigating a sexual assault that occurred near Deputy in Jefferson County. The initial investigation indicated that a suspect entered a residence during the early morning hours of July 2, 2011. An adult female in the residence was battered and sexually assaulted by the unidentified male suspect before he left the home. 

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana State Police responded and began investigating the case. Numerous leads were followed over the course of the investigation, which was led by Detectives with the Indiana State Police-Versailles District. In late 2024, Indiana State Police Laboratory personnel were able to identify a potential family member of the suspect using familial DNA investigative techniques. 

Investigators were then able to identify a potential suspect as Craig S. Long, age 37, who now resides in Switzerland County, Indiana although previously lived near Deputy, Indiana. A search warrant was served this week on Long to collect his DNA profile for comparison. Laboratory personnel then compared Long’s profile with the DNA profile obtained from evidence collected in this case.

After obtaining an arrest warrant, Long was taken into custody. 

This morning, he made his initial court appearance in the Jefferson County Superior Court. During the hearing, the Honorable Judge Blaine Goode ordered that Long continue to be held on a $500,000 bond.

“An arrest was made in this case due to the hard work and cooperation of investigators who continued to work on this case over the past 13 years. The expertise and skill of lab personnel trained in the use of newer DNA investigative techniques was crucial in this investigation," said Jefferson County Prosecutor David Sutter.