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The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) received $2.5 million in FY2021 SAKI funding to conduct further testing and tracking of unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) and to continue improving the response to sexual assault crimes across the state. OSBI will form a Sexual Assault Unit within OSBI's Investigative Division consisting of an investigative supervisor, two investigators, a criminal analyst, and a physical evidence technician that will work in tandem with OSBI's current multidisciplinary working group. The funding will also be utilized to keep momentum moving forward for the State of Oklahoma and to strengthen existing collaborations with established partners to continue the analysis and corresponding investigation of sexual assault kits.
In FY2024, OSBI received $2.5 million in SAKI funding to advance efforts in testing and tracking unsubmitted sexual assault kits and potentially reopening cases for prosecution. This award will support OSBI's continued improvement of the statewide response to sexual assault crimes through the implementation of uniform policies and best practices. The funding will also sustain the investigative Sexual Assault Unit established in 2022, ensuring continued momentum in analyzing the remaining sexual assault kits on the certified inventory. Additionally, OSBI will use these resources to provide specialized training to strengthen the focus on sexual assault investigations and enhance statewide collaboration among multidisciplinary partners.
For more information on the specific SAKI award for this site, see the table below.
Year | Amount | Purpose Area |
---|---|---|
FY2021 | $2,500,000 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
FY2024 | $2,500,000 | Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits |
Newly-signed Oklahoma law changes statute of limitations for rape cases
Xavier Richardson/ KFOR, May 24, 2024
"Governor Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 1658 into law, which eliminates the statute of limitations for rape in cases when a suspect confesses or DNA evidence emerges.The current statute of limitations for rape in Oklahoma is 12 years for victims 18 or older."
Suspect finally identified in decades old rape case
Ashley Moss, KFOR, Oct 3, 2023
"An investigation into an Edmond rape case from 1989 might finally be solved, thanks to the results of a decades old rape kit and a match to a suspect in California. A recently filed affidavit recounts the case from October 3, 1989, when Edmond Police responded to reports of a sexual assault. Although a rape kit was completed following the assault, it went untested for years. After the kit was finally sent to a lab in Virginia for testing in 2021, the results finally identified the suspect."
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.