News

Somerindyke named Fayetteville Police Officer of the Year
— Michael Futch, The Fayetteville Observer, Nov 16, 2018

Lt. John Somerindyke, head of Fayetteville PD's Special Victims Unit, was named Police Officer of the Year due in part to his dedication to investigating cases that have resulted from previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits and advocating for survivors of sexual assault.

Testing of 2012 sexual assault kit leads to Oregon rape conviction
— Associated Press, KVAL 13, Nov 15, 2018

DNA evidence from a previously unsubmitted sexual assault kit led to an arrest in an unsolved case from 2012. The suspect was already incarcerated.

The Defenders: Cold case unit investigating serial rape case
— Michelle Boudin, Mitzi Morris, WCNC, Nov 9, 2018

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's cold case unit, is hopeful that they can use new DNA technology and previously collected DNA evidence to solve a serial rape case that included 17 sexual assaults from 1990 - 1999 in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.

Backlogged rape test kits produce several possible leads
— Associated Press, Belleville News-Democrat, Nov 6, 2018

Law enforcement in Hawaii have tested more than 1,500 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits that have led to 120 DNA matches in national offender databases, 19 of which matched DNA taken from a separate crime scene and repeat offenders.

Trial date set for man charged in decades-old sexual assault
— Fox 11 News, Nov 5, 2018

Trial date is set for the first suspect charged in Wisconsin due to the testing of previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits through the Wisconsin Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.

Arrest made in Hoke County rape, kidnapping cold case after rape kit is sent for DNA testing
— ABC 11 Eyewitness News, Nov 2, 2018

Detectives with the Fayetteville Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit have made an arrest in a 21 year old case thanks to DNA recovered from a previously unsubmitted sexual assault kit.

Austin Police Department Finishes Testing Sexual Assault Evidence Kits Stuck in Backlog For Years
— Audrey McGlinchy, KUT 90.5, Nov 2, 2018

Austin Police Department has completed testing on the thousands of previously unsubmitted sexual assualt kits that sat on their shelves since the 1990s.

Nevada testing of backlogged sexual assault kits leads to 17 arrests
— Jordan Gartner. ABC 13 Action News, Nov 2, 2018

The Nevada Attorney General's Office announced that nearly 8,000 previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits have been sent for testing. So far, there have been 600 DNA matches and 17 arrests from completed tests.

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.

Wichita police commit to send rape-kit backlog of nearly 1.700 for DNA testing
— Chance Swaim, The Wichita Eagle, Nov 2, 2018

The Wichita Police Department announced that they are instituting a "submit all" policy for testing sexual assault kits, including their 1,700 backlogged kits from 2002-2017.