This week in our Cold Case Convictions series, where we highlight cases in which the testing of rape kits years later helps bring perpetrators to justice, we turn to Tennessee. Hendersonville A suspect in a 1985 rape and kidnapping case has finally been brought to justice in Hendersonville, Tennessee. On October 23, 2014, Lane Walter […]
A recent examination of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) revealed that five seasoned detectives of the Special Victims Section failed to pursue over 800 sex crime cases between 2011 and 2013. The report, prepared by the city’s inspector general, states that only 14% of reported sex crimes cases had any records of follow-up efforts. […]
The Joyful Heart Foundation is proud and excited to announce a new partnership with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s Office. The District Attorney’s Office has committed up to $35 million in funding for jurisdictions to audit the scope of their backlogs, test previously unanalyzed kits and adapt and share best practices for rape kit reform. We are honored to serve […]
As we have shared previously, ENDTHEBACKLOG has undertaken a new project—The Accountability Project—to determine whether there are untested rape kits at police departments in 15 U.S. cities. We often hear a variety of reasons why all kits should not be tested: the suspect’s identity was known, the suspect said the sexual contact was consensual, the […]
Today, The Accountability Project, an initiative of our ENDTHEBACKLOG program, released our first findings about the extent of the backlog in four cities—Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Seattle and Tulsa. The Accountability Project aims to bring greater transparency and accountability around rape kit testing practices nationwide. Our work—as well as the results of a CBS News investigation—were […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 3, 2014 CONTACT: Melissa Schwartz, media@endthebacklog.org NEW YORK – Today, the Joyful Heart Foundation announced that it has uncovered rape kit backlogs in Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Seattle and Tulsa. The data, obtained through public records requests, shows that thousands of rape kits remain untested in police storage facilities across the country. […]
According to a just-released report from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), there are more than 9,000 untested rape kits at law enforcement agencies across the state, some dating back to 1985. Legislation passed earlier this year required every law enforcement agency statewide to report the number of untested kits in its facilities. Memphis […]
NEW YORK – August 15, 2014 – The Joyful Heart Foundation today applauded the announcement by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that they have formed a partnership to help address the backlog of rape kits across the country. This new partnership will give local and state jurisdictions […]
To continue with our series on the consequences of allowing rape kits to remain untested, we turn to the story of 57-year-old Michael Phillips of Dallas, Texas, who was exonerated on July 25 after having spent 12 years in prison on charges of rape. According to Reuters, the case “marked the first time someone has […]
