Contractors on track to finish rape kit testing

DETROIT (AP) — A Michigan State Police official says two outside contractors are on track to finish testing, reviewing and adding a backlog of 11,000 rape kits to the state’s database by the end of May.

Capt. Greg Michaud, director of the forensics unit, said Tuesday the contractors are sending DNA results almost daily. He said there are about 8,000 evidence kits that still need to be tested.

The Detroit Free Press reports 670 matches were found on the first batch of 2,000 kits. Michaud said those kits helped identify 188 serial rapists, at least 15 of whom have been convicted.

Thousands of rape kits containing DNA and other evidence were recovered in 2009 from a Detroit police storage facility. The backlog is being handled by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.