I believe change begins locally in communities that are fed up and make it clear to their local politicians that they just won't accept the status quo. City budgets are determined individually and separately from federal budgets. The problem with federal money is that it is usually fungible meaning that the feds can "suggest" it be used for one thing but city administrators can turn around and use it for something else. Local citizens should make it known that crime prevention and LE should receive funding that protects the citizens, but in many US cities lately the opposite has occurred. Nothing will change unless individuals demand it of their local politicians.
A TBI spokesperson confirmed the agency received the sexual assault kit September 23, 2021, but the evidence was placed in a "queue of unknown assailant kits, as no request was made for TBI analysis to be expedited, and no suspect information or DNA standard was included in the submission."
The kit was eventually pulled from evidence storage, according to TBI, along with 19 other kits on June 24 and the first results were received August 29. When the 2021 DNA was entered into a national database, it returned a match for Henderson and TBI reported this to MPD.
Henderson's kit was one of 316 submitted to TBI from all Shelby County law enforcement agencies, which was the most of any county in Tennessee. Knox County was in second with 168 kits. A TBI spokesperson further elaborated on the workload the Jackson Crime Lab faces, with a small staff.
"The Jackson Crime Lab's average turnaround times for SAKs (sexual assault kits) ranged from approximately 33 weeks to 49 weeks between September 2021 and August 2022," the statement read. "The length of time to work these cases is attributed to the workload of the four scientists assigned to this unit. These forensic scientists work every biological evidence submission, ranging from homicides to SAKs, to robberies, assaults, and break-ins."
In 2021, those categories totaled 602 evidence submissions. TBI will rush DNA tests when requested by local law enforcement agencies, which they did for Fletcher's abduction, but MPD did not ask for the 2021 sexual assault kit to be rushed.
TBI has one crime lab in West Tennessee, the Jackson Crime Lab. TBI has a field office in Memphis, but it doesn't include a lab for testing evidence.
Man charged in Eliza Fletcher's kidnapping, killing, charged in 2021 case after DNA match
Memphis police say they had the DNA of the man charged in Eliza Fletcher's disappearance and death after a 2021 investigation, but it wasn't testedwww.commercialappeal.com
I like this reporter, by the way. He actually investigates and isn't just reporting canned news!
Lucas Finton-covers breaking news for The Commercial Appeal.
I hope so. Or contact the news because their case did not get LE attention it needed.
www.defendshelbyco.org
With all the evidence in the case how do you possibly defend this? I don't see any way this case goes to trial. He can't argue insanity..About Our Office — Law Office of the Shelby County Public Defender
Looks like Jennifer Case, attorney for CA-H, has extensive experience in the Office of the Public Defender of Shelby County, as she is listed as a supervisor in major cases.
She may appear to be young, as OP mentioned above, but she has been a practicing attorney for many years, taking the bar exam probably just after graduation from the Law School at the University of Memphis about 18 years ago or thereabouts.
If this becomes a capital case, is she DP certified?About Our Office — Law Office of the Shelby County Public Defender
Looks like Jennifer Case, attorney for CA-H, has extensive experience in the Office of the Public Defender of Shelby County, as she is listed as a supervisor in major cases.
She may appear to be young, as OP mentioned above, but she has been a practicing attorney for many years, taking the bar exam probably just after graduation from the Law School at the University of Memphis about 18 years ago or thereabouts.
Interesting maybe. ETA: It's not as if they didn't know a backlog existed for YEARS!
Aug 2022
Final hearing set for class action lawsuit against City of Memphis in rape kit backlog case
A Shelby County Circuit Court judge will hold the final hearing for a years-long fight between rape victims and the City of Memphis.www.actionnews5.com
2021
Survivors fight for class-action status over untested rape kits
More than 12,000 untested rape kits were discovered by Memphis Police in 2013. Several women filed a lawsuit the following year, in August 2014.
Yes, it was posted somewhere upthread that she is. I do know that she has been practicing for 18 years.
What a hymn to end with
A favorite of mine. May she rest in peace and rise in glory!
It is complicated. And I know all that. I understand how the system currently works. Currently. A complete overhaul of the system should be examined -- and let's start with the tiny percentage of people whose lives are constant violence.
