News

Cold case rape arrest a milestone for Mobile task force
— Lawrence Specker, al.com, Apr 13, 2018

The Mobile Police Department made an arrest in a 1998 case after the sexual assault kit received modern DNA testing. In 2015, the Mobile Police Department received BJA SAKI funding to inventory and test its previously unsubmitted SAKs. In 2016, the Mobile Police Department received another SAKI grant to renovate its evidence storage room. With SAKI funding received in 2017, the Mobile Police Department will build a special victims unit.

DNA Testing Leads To Arrest Made In 26-Year-Old Sex Assault Case
— Kimberly Johnson, Charlotte Patch, Apr 13, 2018

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has made an arrest in a 26-year-old sexual assault case after testing a previously unsubmitted sexual assault kit.

KBI’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative recommends all sexual assault kits be submitted to a laboratory and tested
— Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Apr 13, 2018

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) released a formal recommendation that all sexual assault kits collected in Kansas be submitted to a forensic laboratory for analysis. This recommendation is based of of KBI's SAKI project and 2 years of study. Read KBI's announcement.

Testing of backlogged rape kits leads to 22 DNA hits
— Kerri O’Brien, WRIC ABC 8 News, Apr 13, 2018

Richmond Police Department has sent 195 rape kits for testing and has so far received 22 hits in CODIS, the national DNA database.

Detroit plays crucial role in Mariska Hargitay-produced documentary on untested rape kits
— Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, Apr 8, 2018

The HBO documentary “I Am Evidence” highlights the work of Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to address Detroit’s backlog of previously unsubmitted SAKs.

Officials: All backlogged sex assault kits have been sent for testing
— Katie Hall, Austin American-Statesman, Apr 7, 2018

To eliminate their backlog of previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits, the Austin Police Department has now sent nearly 4,300 SAKs to a private crime laboratory for testing.

Rape kit leads to arrest in 2011 case
— Melanie Schultz, News4 JAX, Apr 6, 2018

As the result of a recently tested SAK, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested a map in a 2011 case.

I-TEAM: Sex offender charged in 2006 Jacksonville rape
— Tarik Minor, News4 JAX, Mar 29, 2018

A sex offender recently released from prison has been arrested in relation to a 12-year-old rape case. This arrest is a result of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement processing unsubmitted sexual assault kits.

Collaborative Partnerships in the Testing of Unsubmitted SAKS
— Dan Clark and Rachel Lovell, The Police Chief, Mar 23, 2018

Through funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, law enforcement agencies across the country can form collaborative working relations with local academic institutions. This article highlights the productive law enforcement-academic collaboration in Cuyahoga County, Ohio as well as findings from their current research.

6 women were kidnapped and raped in New Orleans in the 1980s. The accused attacker was just charged
— Emily Lane, The Times-Picayune, Mar 22, 2018

Through the work of the New Orleans Sexual Assault Kit Initiative unit, a man was indicted for the kidnapping and rape of six women from more than 30 years ago.