Stacked in police warehouses across the Valley, there are thousands of rape cases with DNA samples that have never been tested, an ABC15 Investigation found.
Experts said it’s critical evidence that is being ignored by law enforcement, leaving suspected rapists on the street and victims without answers.
"I think you’re looking at a jurisdiction that’s not responding effectively to sexual assault," said Sarah Tofte, a national advocate with the Joyful Heart Foundation who studies how police handle rape case evidence.
The ABC15 Investigators spent four months researching this story, sending out dozens of public records requests and reviewing hundreds of pages of documents, police reports and court records.
The TV station will air a series of special investigations starting Monday this week.
The reports will specifically focus on whether or not police have tested evidence in what’s called a "sexual assault evidence kit."
When victims report rapes or sexual assaults, they are given an exam and swabbed all over their body to collect a suspect’s DNA left by semen, saliva or other bodily fluids.
The DNA evidence collected is stored in those kits, which are kept in freezers at Valley police storage facilities.
ABC15 has discovered there are thousands of sexual assault kits that have never been tested, including at least 800 kits at East Valley departments.
"An untested kit, for us, is about lost justice for rape victims," Tofte said.
DNA that is gathered and stored in sexual assault evidence kits can be entered into state and federal databases and matched directly to DNA profiles of convicted offenders and arrestees, including suspects of other rapes.
So if a kit isn’t tested, police lose the chance to connect that DNA to other attacks, someone who’s already been arrested or someone who will be arrested in the future.
In their series of reports, ABC15 will:
• Confront top law enforcement officials with the numbers.
• Share emotional stories from victims and their families about their fight for justice.
• Reveal the number of untested kits for each law enforcement agency, including East Valley departments.
• Show how a serial rapist could have been stopped earlier if DNA evidence had been tested.
The stories are being reported by ABC15 Investigator Dave Biscobing and produced by Lauren Gilger.
The first airs Monday night at 10 p.m. on ABC15 (KNXV-TV).
vickiln posted at 12:10 pm on Sun, Nov 11, 2012.
First the 400+ cases ignored by top cop Arapio and now this. If it is true,
it is shameful, the disregard for female victims and future victims in this
valley.
midusdew posted at 3:35 pm on Sun, Nov 11, 2012.
This article is about the police dept. is not the sheriff dept. This goes to the mayor of phoenix.... Gordon, Staston, and the Police chief of Phoenix are the responsible ones for these cases.
azkatz posted at 8:16 am on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
its not just rape cases!!! Sherriff Joe and County Atty Tom Horne both refused to prosecute a 3 time known domestic abuse offender, trained Army infantry sniper, loose cannon who will easily wave a loaded gun threatening anyone who crosses him, get away with giving me 3 skull fractures and as a result I suffered brain damage that caused severe memory loss and blackouts.
After sending a certified mail receipt letter to Sherriff Joe, my boyfriend (retired doctor) and I (retired/disabled military) were stopped in traffic within the same week and arrested for possession of cannabis (we are both legal patients) and were way under our legal limit when thrown in jail. I was never even told I was getting arrested. I was told I had to wear the handcuffs because they were taking my bf's car only.
Corruption seems to run rampant in Arizona - but there isn't anyone to blame but ourselves since we keep putting the people in office. Just saying....
azkatz posted at 8:25 am on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
personally, I feel that anyone who profits from prisons are committing a moral crime. Anyone who makes money off of keeping prisons full and especially being a politician, should be put in jail themselves for committing human morality crimes!!!
The War on Drugs is a crime!! Putting people in jail - if believed to have a drug problem - does nothing to help that person. At $50,000 per person a year vs. $20,000 year for drug rehab - its a crime to the American public who are paying more than double to treat people vs. putting them in prison that absolutely makes no sense (especially makes no sense to someone already suffering from brain damage!).
Instead Arizona chooses to allow the actual criminals free and persecute the innocent!!
phxvato1202 posted at 1:50 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
@misusdew--first of all not only the local police are responsible but this happened in maricopa county so of course the sheriff is also responsible. Isn't it enough that over 400 cases of sex abuses in maricopa county NOT investigated by the sheriffs dept and now thousands of rape kits not tested?? YOu must not be related or know one of the women whom those tests belong too? Sad day for law enforcement whom as a whole will look bad in the eyes of many and only for the failure of a few people to do their job as required by law. Your as bad as arpaio if you can defend this issue at all.
Joni posted at 2:01 pm on Mon, Nov 12, 2012.
Enforce laws, secure borders....crimes of all types, including rape will plummet!
VofReason posted at 12:58 pm on Tue, Nov 13, 2012.
And why would the police and sherriff be ignoring this evidence? Is the point that they have a benefit for allowing rapists to run around on the street? How would this benefit them?
VofReason posted at 12:59 pm on Tue, Nov 13, 2012.
Here is something. Woman should arm themselves and shoot to kill if someone tries to rape them.