Rape test kits are being processed in less time as the state has funded more lab workers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Sexual assault victims are being forced to wait long hours for crucial DNA evidence about their attackers.

We are committed to tracking the turnaround times for a rape kit at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. They are so important to getting justice.

Two years ago this week, Memphis teacher Eliza Fletcher was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by a man who was later found guilty of raping the woman in 2021. In recognition of that grim anniversary, we investigated and found that Tennessee is finally reducing the length of trials.

In TBI’s lab, wait times peaked at 45 weeks in August 2022. Since July of that year, turnaround times have dropped to less than 10 weeks, according to a report TBI is now required to publish quarterly.

This is a huge step in the right direction. When the turnaround time for a kit is so long, it can discourage sexual assault victims from opting for testing.

“They take swabs of any area where DNA might be present,” Lorraine McGuire said. “They take photographs, they measure any bumps, bruises, tears, cracks. They are photographed, and these are very personal photographs that are taken. That’s a really difficult thing to do after someone has been attacked and lost their autonomy.”

With funding from the state, 47 employees have been hired in the past two years, and most have completed training in testing rape kits. TBI aims to train 50 people by 2025.

The state also outsources dozens of kits to a Florida lab. Tennessee pays more than $2,100 per kit to be tested by that lab.

For sexual assaults investigated by Metro Nashville Police, sexual assault kits are processed in the department’s lab. If it’s not a priority request, the average turnaround time is 42 weeks. Some kits can be outsourced for faster results and returned in less than 16 weeks. Police tell us that for urgent requests, the turnaround time is about a few days. The department’s forensic biology unit is fully staffed, but most of the staff is still in training.

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-Carrie Sharp