How the fuck is there a statute of limitations for rape in New York?

[Thumpalumpacus]

 Though..one wonders how a longer sol would be applied to a case without such evidence, or when such evidence is inconclusive?

I'd imagine that would devolve upon a prosecutor's assessment of the evidence in light of being able to persuade a jury or judge. Usually, prosecutors don't pursue cases where the evidence isn't airtight, because the District Attorney in most American counties is elected, not appointed, and that means success rate (in prosecutions) becomes a campaign issue.

Should we be able bring someone up, 20 years later, on rape charges... over inconclusive dna findings?  Pretty easy to get inconclusive dna findings, twenty years later.  We do it today, with -some- success, on more recent accusations.  Basically using the findings as a pretext to put someones character on trial.

It's certainly a danger of longer SOLs, but considering the political ramifications mentioned above, it seems to me more just to give justice late rather than give the perpetrator a free pass if he's able to lay low long enough.