Politics
Oklahoma study spotlights DNA evidence backlog, with 550 Oklahoma City kits still untested
State officials say one in seven backlogged sexual-assault kits produces a match in the national DNA database. Lawmakers are weighing ways to speed testing and evidence collection, while Oklahoma City police report 550 kits still awaiting tests.
Oklahoma lawmakers are examining ways to reduce delays in testing sexual-assault evidence kits, as state officials report that thousands of kits have been identified and hundreds remain untested in Oklahoma City.
At an interim study, Danielle Tudor, the attorney general’s designee to the state’s SAFE Board, said the number of kits found across Oklahoma has risen to 9,281 from 7,270 identified in 2017 and 2018. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is currently tracking more than 2,000 kits, officials said.
The stakes are significant for survivors and investigations: Tudor said one in every seven backlogged kits produces a hit in CODIS, the national Combined DNA Index System. She also said the backlog has helped identify at least 108 serial offenders.
Oklahoma City police have 1,561 kits in their inventory, including 550 still awaiting testing, Tudor said. She said officials are working with the department and hope it will receive funding to test the remaining kits.
Submissions to the state bureau have tripled since a 2019 law required every reported kit to be submitted for testing. The bureau is also aiming to cut the average time to collect a kit from 7.47 days to two days. Officials and forensic experts discussed testing timelines, evidence collection and proper storage during the study.
Linda Terrell, co-chair of the SAFE Board and a sexual-assault survivor, told lawmakers her assault occurred in Norman in the mid-1980s. A DNA match in Colorado led to the perpetrator’s capture 28 years later, she said.
Terrell said testing can identify suspects and link crimes, including cases that may involve repeat offenders. The figures presented at the study underscore how funding and timely testing can affect whether evidence yields investigative leads—and how long survivors may wait for answers.