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SAKI awarded the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (GCJCC) a $3-million grant in FY2017. The grant money has been used to support the enhancement of Georgia's initiatives to best serve sexual assault survivors through a coordinated and victim-centered response. These enhanced initiatives include creating a Georgia SAKI Task Force for investigating and prosecuting cold case sexual assaults across the state. Additionally, the funds have allowed for coordination among victim service providers and criminal justice agencies to address the challenges associated with previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs).
In FY2020, the GCJCC was awarded an additional $2.5 million in SAKI funding to continue work from their previous SAKI award, enhance existing sexual assault policies for all agencies and organizations within the state that respond to sexual assault crimes, and further the Georgia SAKI Task Force's initiatives. The funding will also be used for Violent Criminal Apprehension Program database entry and to inventory and test partially tested SAKs across the state.
In FY2023, SAKI awarded the GCJCC $2.5 million to achieve a comprehensive approach to addressing challenges associated with SAK testing. The GCJCC will continue providing coordination among criminal justice system agencies and victim service providers to address challenges specific to jurisdictions across the state of Georgia in handling SAKs, enhance existing sexual assault policies for all agencies and organizations within the state that respond to sexual assault crimes, and continue Georgia SAKI Task Force initiatives including downstream investigations and prosecutions, cold case consultation, and Violent Criminal Apprehension Program entry. Additionally, the GCJCC will supplement the existing advocacy focus of the initiative to include all victims in cold case sexual assault cases, regardless of investigative leads from Combined DNA Index System hits, and inventory and test partially tested SAKs in Georgia. The goal of the project is to achieve consistency in the coordinated response to sexual assaults throughout the state so that victims are safe and offenders are held accountable.
GCJCC received a second award in FY2023 in the amount of $1.5 million to expand the scope of existing cold case work and to provide resources needed for additional sexual assault kit testing. Through this grant program, the GCJCC and its partners will enhance existing cold case homicide projects and increase the existing investigative capacity for sexual assault cold cases. These objectives will be achieved via a combination of the following: providing advanced DNA testing to statewide jurisdictions, investigating cold case sexually motivated homicides by hiring two part-time investigators, providing the services of a cold case investigative consultant to aid in the examination of cases, providing direct advocacy and counseling services to sexual assault victims and families of the deceased to ensure a comprehensive and trauma-informed approach to investigations, and increasing resources to the existing Georgia SAKI Task Force for statewide support and technical assistance.
Find out more information about Georgia's efforts to address previously unsubmitted SAKs.
For more information on the specific SAKI awards for this site, see the table below.
| Year | Amount | Purpose Area |
|---|---|---|
| FY2017 | $3,000,000 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
| FY2020 | $2,500,000 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
| FY2023 | $2,500,000 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
| FY2023 | $1,500,000 | Investigation and Prosecution of Cold Case Sexual Assaults |
Please direct all media inquiries to:
Serial rapist caught after more than 20 years
— Christine Fonville, The Champion Newspaper, Nov 10, 2023
"Through the work of the Georgia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (GASAKI) Task Force, which was formed in 2018 and created in partnership with the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) as part of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar federal grant, the cold case was finally solved, stated officials.
“The GASAKI Task Force addresses the downstream investigations and prosecutions of cold case sexual assaults that have resulted from testing of previously untested sexual assault kits or any cold case sexual assault,” stated a press release from the GASAKI Task Force."
Charlie Scott, fugitive on America’s Most Wanted, pleads guilty 29 years after rape of DeKalb County girl
— On Common Ground News, Oct 17, 2023
"DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announces a conviction by guilty plea in the sexual assault cold case against Charlie Scott, 59. A positive DNA match linked Scott to the rape of the teen and several other victims."
Great results' from Georgia's new sex assault kit tracking system
— Fox 5, Aug 29, 2022
"Use this in graphic: "We've seen some great results so far," explained Amy Hutsell, program director for the CJCC's Sexual Assault, Child Abuse and Human Trafficking Unit. "Our biggest impact, I think is that we have sent a really strong message to victims and survivors in this state that we care about them.""
GBI reduces sexual assault evidence backlog by almost 80%
— Fox 5 Atlanta, Claire Simms, May 26, 2022
"Over the last two years, employees in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Forensic Biology Section have worked to reduce a backlog of sexual assault evidence kits.
According to the GBI, they had 1,715 kits to process in April 2020. That number was down to just 380 in April 2022. "They have significantly reduced the backlog by almost 80 percent in the past two years," explained GBI Public Affairs Director Nelly Miles."
Serial Rapist pleads guilty to string of Dekalb cold case secual assaults
— Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney, Mar 16, 2022
"A Decatur man charged in a string of cold case rapes in DeKalb County has pleaded guilty to the crimes. During court proceedings on Friday, March 11th, Dionte Mapp, 39, pleaded guilty as indicted to Kidnapping (three counts), Rape (three counts), Aggravated Sodomy (two counts), and Aggravated Assault (two counts) in connection with sexual assault crimes against three women dating back to 2006 and the violent assault of a fourth woman in 2015 that led to a break in the previous cases."
Marietta man, 55, arrested in sexual assault cold case from 1990
— Caroline Silva, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nov 19, 2021
For more than 30 years, all the leads in a Cobb County sexual assault case never led to an arrest, authorities said. But thanks to the testing of a previously untested sexual assault kit, a Marietta man has finally been put behind bars.
North Carolina man convicted by guilty plea 24 years after cold case sexual assault in DeKalb County
— OCG News Staff, Aug 24, 2021
DNA evidence from cold case rape that occurred in 1997 leads to the conviction of suspect to 15 years in custody and 5 years supervised probation.
Accused serial rapist linked to 8 metro Atlanta cold cases captured
— Jason Braverman, 11 Alive, Mar 4, 2020
District Attorney Sherry Boston said the alleged rapist, 58-year-old Wesley Cooley, is linked to eight cold cases over nearly two decades. Cooley was identified through the efforts of the sexual assault task force. Five of the sexual assaults took place in DeKalb County.
Georgia Uses DNA Sample and Genealogy to Solve 1999 Rapes
— The New York Times, Jan 12, 2020
Genetic Genealogy used to solve 3 cold case sexual assaults from 1999 in Georgia.
Bill Signed to save Georgia rape kit evidence until cases solved
— Mark Niesse, AJC, May 7, 2019
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill Tuesday that requires police to reserve DNA evidence of rapes and similar crimes for up to 50 years.
Processing DNA from rape kits 'a game changer'
— Horace Hollman, The Champion, Apr 11, 2019
DeKalb County serial rapist facing charges based on DNA evidence from previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits.
Processing DNA from rape kits 'a game changer'
— Horace Hollman, The Champion, Apr 11, 2019
DeKalb County serial rapist facing charges based on DNA evidence from previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits.
Georgia House approves longer storage of rape kits
— Associated Press, WGXA, Apr 2, 2019
The Georgia Senate unanimously approved a bill that requires evidence from a sexual assault kit be preserved for 30 years after the arrest date, 7 years from the completion of the prison sentence, or 50 years if no arrest is made.
Man sentenced to life in prison after DNA connects him to cold case rapes
— Portia Burner, Fox 5, Mar 19, 2019
DNA from three previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits and cold case investigations by the GACC SAKI team led to a conviction in Atlanta, GA.
Georgia lawmakers work to end state rape kit backlog
— Ashley Bridges, WJBF 6, Mar 7, 2019
Team members from the GA SAKI taskforce emphasize the importance of understanding the lives of victims that are affected by testing sexual assault kits.
Tackling backlog of rape kits in Georgia
— WSAV 3, Feb 12, 2019
Since 2016, law enforcement agencies across Georgia have sent 3,000 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits for testing and have received 321 CODIS matches and put 2 serial rapists behind bars.
GBI: Backlog of 3,000 rape kits cleared since 2016 law
— Russ Bynam, The Telegraph, Nov 16, 2018
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation have tested 3,000 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits, which have yielded evidence that linked 321 cases to suspects of other crimes, and identified two serial rapists.
Police make arrest in 21-year-old cold case murder
— WSB-TV 2 Atlanta, Nov 2, 2018
Police in Fulton County, GA were able to use genetic genealogy to find and arrest the suspect in a murder case from 1997.
GBI hopes to have rape kit backlog cleared by end of year; 1 Gainesville case remains
— Nick Watson, The Gainesville Times, Sep 26, 2018
Only 73 unsubmitted sexual assault nurse examiner kits need to be tested out of the more than 2,700 kits that were accounted for by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations in 2016.
DNA links Cobb County man to 3 rapes dating back to 2006 , police say
— Alexis Stevens, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sep 20, 2018
SAKI Site Success.
DNA evidence has linked a career criminal to three rapes dating back to 2006.
Never Tested | 15-Year-Old Rape Kit Leads Police to Accused Georgia Serial Rapist
— Christopher Buchanan, WLTX19, Jun 28, 2018
DNA from a previously untested SAK identifies a serial sexual offender. He has now been indicted for a series of sexual assaults that occurred between 2001-2005.
Rape kit backlog yields new leads in cold cases
— Meris Lutz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jun 1, 2018
Learn more about the Metro Atlanta Sexual Assault Cold Case Task Force funded through the state's SAKI grant. The task force will be investigating new leads on cold cases following the testing of previously unsubmitted SAKs.
Huge GBI backlog of untested rape kits down by two-thirds
— Rhonda Cook, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Apr 27, 2018
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has tested approximately two-thirds of its backlog of over 10,000 sexual assault kits. There have been 241 CODIS hits to evidence processed so far.
Funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative aims to create a coordinated community response that ensures just resolution to sexual assault cases. Through this program, funding is provided to support multidisciplinary community response teams engaged in the comprehensive reform of jurisdictions approaches to sexual assault cases resulting from evidence found in previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits.
