Marion councilmember reindicted on rape charges after dismissal

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Seven months after three felony rape charges were dropped, a Marion City Council member has been indicted on five felony charges related to the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl.

In January, the Marion County prosecutor’s office filed a motion to dismiss rape charges against Ayers Ratliff for the purpose of possibly strengthening its case in the future with additional and “substantial evidence.”

On Wednesday, two indictments were filed, one against Ratliff, the other against his wife, Heidi Ratliff, who are being charged in connection with the rape of a 13-year-old girl, who reportedly texted a friend of the alleged incident.

Ayers Ratliff was arrested in May 2024 after the alleged victim reportedly sent a friend a text. A criminal complaint stated that the friend notified a school counselor, who called the police.

Marion officers interviewed the alleged victim, who told officers Ayers had forcibly engaged in sexual intercourse with her the night before. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was called to assist in the investigation and the victim was taken to Marion General Hospital for a sexual assault examination.

Marion PD also executed a search warrant at the location of the reported rape, where several clothes described by the victim were collected, as well as other physical evidence and electronic devices.

Three witnesses including the Marion Chief of Police, a special agent with BCI and a nurse at Marion General Hospital, testified during a preliminary hearing before a Marion County Court of Common Pleas grand jury convened to indict Ayers.

When the prosecutor’s office said additional evidence surfaced, it voluntarily dropped the charges to pursue the case further.

“The evidence continues to amass,” January’s motion stated. “Surprisingly, Ratliff’s attorneys – by providing potential witnesses and hundreds of pages of new discovery material – have unwittingly given the prosecution team additional leads that will need to be reviewed by a Marion County grand jury.”

Seven months later, seven new charges were added to the reindictment, two for Ayers Ratliff and five for Heidi Ratliff.

The charges are as follows:

• Ayers Ratliff: Rape, gross sexual imposition (three counts), abduction
• Heidi Ratliff: Obstruction of justice (two counts), endangering children (two), intimidation of a victim

The charges list multiple incidents occurring; May 1, 2023, and May 19, 2023.

“The Intimidation of a Victim charge advanced by the Grand Jury suggests this child was subjected to improper intimidation after she told others about the rape committed against her,” Marion County prosecutor Ray Grogan said.

Ayers Ratliff pleaded not guilty in September 2024 and just five weeks ago filed a lawsuit against Grogan along with several members of his staff, alleging false arrest, wrongful imprisonment, malicious prosecution, libel and slander.

The lawsuit claimed that the victim made up the rape accusations, but that for political reasons, investigators pursued the case.

“The investigation was at all times incompetent, reckless, malicious and in blatant disregard for the truth and was conducted with actual malice,” the lawsuit said.

Ayers Ratliff was present in recent Marion City Council meetings as recent as July, records show, and remains listed as 2nd Ward representative, the chair of Public Utilities, and on the Finance committee as well as the Jobs & Economic Growth Development committee.

An arraignment hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 2 at 1 p.m. for both suspects.