Progress has been made in reducing the backlog of unprocessed DNA samples in the Kansas Bureau of Investigations laboratory, according to Kansas Attorney General Steve Six.
In September 2009, there were more than 38,000 DNA samples awaiting testing by KBI lab workers. Another 11,277 came in for processing so far this year, and even with that increase, Six says the backlog has been cut to 11,318, thanks to additional funding from the Kansas legislature and the federal government.
This is bittersweet news for victims of unsolved crimes, like the
woman I wrote about last summer, who survived a horrific rape and
whose case remains open in Johnson County, Kansas. DNA from a rape kit
was used to create a profile of her attacker, but the man's identity
remains unknown. The story highlighted the plight of underfunded forensic laboratories all over the country, including at the KBI.
Samples of DNA at scenes of felony crimes like homicides, sexual assaults and aggravated batteries are processed first. Some samples aren't processed until required by subpoena.
Six, who oversees the KBI, is running for re-election in November.
(H/T KWCH 12)
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