Officials say a backlog of 11-thousand untested rape kits is almost cleared. In some instances, the cases go back more than three decades. But some victims will have to wait years for justice.
The untested rape kits were discovered six years ago in an abandoned Detroit crime lab. A combined state, local and private sector effort was launched to clear the backlog.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy led the effort, but says that’s just the beginning.
“It’s nice to have them all tested but it doesn’t bring justice to any victim unless we investigate them the way they should have been investigated in the first place and prosecute them, as well," Worthy says.
Michigan State Police Colonel Kriste Etue says the DNA evidence has been connected with crimes and suspects across the country.
“To date, we have received 2,616 associations in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System. These associations have included links to criminal cases in 35 states and the District of Columbia," Etue says.
But law enforcement officials say it will take years to wrap up the investigations and prosecutions. In some cases, authorities have lost track of the victims.
