APPROXIMATELY 850 RAPE KITS IN EVIDENCE STORAGE FOUND WITH MOLD IN AUSTIN

  

Just under 850 forensic rape kits from the Austin Police evidence storage were discovered to have mold growing on the outside on their outside, which lead to officials reaching out for guidance from experts on the next steps they should take to preserve it amongst questions on whether or not the samples are already compromised.

Officials are currently stating they have no suggestion that mold will prevent analysis to obtain DNA samples. The kits in question have never been tested, so evidence from them has never been used to build a case against or convict a defendant.

There have been expressed concerns focused on the Austin police, and why their officials did not immediately notify other criminal justice leaders, including those in the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.

It also has prompted the department to spend thousands in new equipment to resolve the issue.

When performing an audit of the evidence that potentially was affected, of the 1,629 cases stored in the refrigerator, 849 were located that showed some signs of mold on the outside.

The Austin Police has had its lab closed for months, with police and city officials working since last year to examine thousands of untested rape kits. There are some test kits that are decades old. The department received additional funding from the city last year to hire outside labs to help clear the backlog.