News

State Crime Lab Completes 1,300 Backlogged Sexual Assualt Kits
— Fox 16, Oct 23, 2018

The Arkansas State Crime Lab has processed 1,300 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits sent to their agency in 2015.

Rape kit testing leads to charges in 2006 case
— Ashley Imlay, Deseret News, Oct 22, 2018

A 12-year-old sexual assault kit processed through the Salt Lake County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative leads to an arrest. This kit was among the more than 2,000 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits that have been sent to the Utah State Crime Lab for DNA testing

Washington State Tries To Address Massive Rape Kit Backlog
— Anna Boiko-Weyrauch, WBUR 90.9, Oct 22, 2018

Washington State is looking into ways to process their more than 8,000 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits more efficiently. They are looking at how Ohio has processed their previously unsubmitted sexual assault kit backlog for answers.

DOJ completes review of sexual assault kit tests
— Teymour Tomsyck, Channel 3000, Oct 18, 2018

The Wisconsin DOJ has received $1 million SAKI grant to continue their Wisconsin SAKI program. The additional funding will help the WiSAKI program train local prosecutors, compile information from the kits, and support additional analysis of the kits.

Grant will fund testing of some Tulsa rape kits
— Barla Slipke, The Oklahomian, Oct 18, 2018

Tulsa police received a $1.5 million SAKI grant to assist in their efforts of supporting sexual assault survivors. The grant money will allow 750 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits to be tested, allow the Tulsa PD to hire a cold-case detective to work on the cases that result from testing the kits as well as a victim advocate for the Special Victims Unit.

Office of the State Attorney Awarded $2.3 Million to process assault kits
— Jax Daily Record, Oct 17, 2018

The Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit of Florida, has received a SAKI grant totalling $2.3 million to continue building on previous work funded by SAKI. This new grant will continue to fund a specialized sexual assault response team, and expand DNA databases.

I-Team: University of Louisville professor tracing origins of rape kit backlog, looking for solution
— Hilary Lake, WCPO Cincinnati, Oct 16, 2018

Kentucky is using research to better understand the factor's that created a backlog of 3,400 sexual assault kits in order to prevent it from happening again.

Victims coping with massive sex crime kit backlog
— Jon Paepcke, WVTM 13, Oct 16, 2018

Jefferson County's Crisis Center is assisting survivors of sexual assault by connecting them to the District Attorney and other community resources to learn more about why their sexual assault kits are still unsubmitted to evidence.

Memphis Man Convicted in 2000 Rape After DNA Linked Him to Attack
— Courtney Mickens, Fox 13, Oct 15, 2018

DNA has linked a Memphis man to a rape that occurred 18 years ago. The Shelby County District Attorney's Office used a John Doe indictment to prevent the statute of limitations from expiring.

DNA links man to 1996 rape in the Irish Channel: DA
— Heather Nolan, nola.com, Oct 12, 2018

DNA results have linked a 45-year-old man to a 1996 sexual assault in the Irish Channel.