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Displaying News and Event Items: 221 - 230 of 853.
Boston police launch new initiative to solve cold case rapes
— WCVB5, Jul 23, 2022
"But police are taking another look at 1,000 kits where no DNA was detected, using a $2.5 million federal grant to submit the kits to an outside lab for advanced DNA testing. The new technology uses what's called Y screening, used to detect male DNA.
"That's what's really exciting about this grant," said Kevin Kosiorek, director of the department's crime lab. "The federal government wants us to test everything. They're not satisfied unless it gets re-screened using Y screening."
Attorney General Josh Stein Provides Sexual Assault Kit Testing Update
— ncdoj.gov, Jul 14, 2022
"Attorney General Josh Stein today announced a new record of hits in the CODIS DNA database: 1,211 hits. That is a nearly 18 percent increase from the previous fiscal year and means that – thanks to increased testing – law enforcement has more ability than ever to move forward on cases. In addition to announcing this milestone, Attorney General Stein has launched a statewide sexual assault kit tracking dashboard.
This dashboard was made possible by federal funding through the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative."
New Minnesota rape kit tracking system promises more accountability
— MPRNews, Jul 13, 2022
"The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is rolling out a new system to help survivors of sexual assault track information about their cases.
The BCA will begin using the Track-Kit system statewide this week. The system gives survivors of sexual assault 24/7 online access to information about their sexual assault kit. The system is part of a mandate from the Minnesota Legislature to give survivors access to information about their kits."
First statewide tracking system created to better Iowa’s sexual assault kit testing capabilities
— Innovation Iowa, Jul 11, 2022
"4,275. That was the number of unsubmitted, untested sexual assault kits in Iowa in March 2017. Before then, no one in Iowa knew that number. Not hospital staffs, not the state’s crime lab, not law enforcement agencies.
Sandi Tibbetts Murphy, director of the Crime Victim Assistance Division (CVAD) of the Iowa attorney general’s office, said “many of them were just sitting in locked evidence rooms at local police departments,” and some were destroyed due to a lack of knowledge on storage procedures or damage from flooding."
Birmingham man accused of assaults involving 7 victims; DNA sample used in investigation
— 6WBRC, Jul 1, 2022
"Investigators said they received a notice from the Alabama Department of Forensic Science (ADFS) regarding an unknown DNA sample being linked to multiple sexual assault kits which connected one man to multiple sexual assaults. This case was identified as a high priority serial offender by investigators with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) unit."
Charges filed in 6 California cold cases after sexual assault kit backlog cleared
— NBC News, Jun 29, 2022
"Orange County authorities have cleared a backlog of untested sexual assault kits going back decades and the results led to the filing of charges in six cold cases, the district attorney’s office announced Tuesday. “Every one of these untested sexual assault kits represents a victim who deserves justice,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in the statement.
The testing resulted in hundreds of new DNA profiles being uploaded to law enforcement databases in the county and to the filing of criminal charges in six cold cases."
System to prevent rape kit backlog in Wisconsin goes live Friday
— Channel 3000 News, Jun 29, 2022
"A new system designed to prevent any future backlog of rape test kits in Madison that was stalled for years before being signed into law in December goes live on Friday.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes, Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett and a sexual assault nurse joined Attorney General Josh Kaul Wednesday to remind people of the upcoming date."
