YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) - Now on the job for a little over eight months, Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro says she and her staff have been noticing a disturbing trend: uncooperative crime victims and witnesses.

Perhaps even worse, crime scenes are being tampered with.

"Almost a rash of witnesses showing up and saying they don't want to testify, asserting Fifth Amendment right, thinking that ends the case," Maro said. "We've had a number of situations where police respond and by the time they get there, evidence is gone, shell casings are gone from the streets."

Maro said there are reasons behind the lack of cooperation. Among them are victims who are afraid of retaliation, witnesses who don't want to get involved, or in some cases, simply don't want to be bothered.

"I had one woman

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