News

DNA testing leads to conviction of Kalamazoo man for 2005 sexual assault
— Ken Delaney, wtvbam.com, Nov 27, 2024

"A Kalamazoo man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, with the conviction coming 19 years after the assault. 39-year-old Shawn Darnell Robinson Hopkins was found guilty Tuesday in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court of two counts of first degree criminal sexual assault causing personal injury, and now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Hopkins was charged through the Kalamazoo Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, which was established in 2017 to address previously untested sexual assault kits. "

Genealogy Links Suspect to 1986, 1992 Sexual Assaults of Children (Unsire if a SAKI funded success, but wanted to include it)
— forensicmag.com, Nov 7, 2024

"In hopes of finding new leads, Quezada worked with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). They submitted more evidence to the Arizona DPS’s Crime Lab for additional analysis through the Maricopa County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. However, after two years—despite reinterviewing the victims, reexamining evidence, and chasing every possible lead—the case remained unsolved. That’s when detectives decided to go the genetic genealogy route. They got a hit, and finally the decades-long quest for answers ended with a name: David Roy Munt. In present time, detectives tracked Munt down to Longview, Texas—only about 30 miles from Henderson, where the second sexual assault occurred in 1992."

Man sentenced to life in prison for 1989 cold case murder in Dallas County
— David Goins, NBCDFW.com, Nov 7, 2024

"A Dallas County jury sentenced a man to life in prison without the chance of parole Thursday in a first-of-its-kind murder trial based on forensic genetic genealogy technology. David Rojas, 55, was charged with capital murder for the January 1989 sexual assault and killing of Mary Hague Kelly in her West Oak Cliff home."

Man serving time for ’94 rape pleads guilty to ’92 rape
— Regina Mobley, wavy.com, Nov 7, 2024

"Her parent’s grave site is the place where Margaret Smith stopped to process the end of a long road to justice. For years, her parents supported the young mother who never gave up hope that one day police would find the suspect and put him behind bars. It went unsolved Up until we got a DNA hit back through the Attorney General’s Sexual Assault initiative,” Williams said. Scott was charged with burglary, Entering a house to rape, malicious wounding, attempted sodomy, and abduction in the Ghent case."

Orleans Parish DA’s Office Secures Life Sentence For Multiple Sex Abuse Offenses, Makes Public Appeal for Survivor Supports
— Orleans Parish DA, Nov 5, 2024

"On Monday, November 4, 2024, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams announced the conviction and life sentences of Navarri Henderson for three separate, violent crimes that included sexual assault and domestic abuse. This significant outcome is a testament to the unwavering bravery of the survivors who came forward and the dedicated efforts of law enforcement and medical professionals who supported their pursuit of justice. “Today’s sentence is not just a win for these courageous survivors but a victory for every survivor who continues to fight for justice,” said DA Jason Williams. “Their strength and resilience are a beacon of hope for our entire community.”

Virginia Police Arrest Man in 33-Year-Old Cold Case Murder
— Country Herald Police Reports, Oct 24, 2024

"Richmond, VA – Virginia State Police arrested Ives T. Fortune, 62, of Tappahannock, for the 1991 murder of Jennie Lee Johnson. Johnson’s body was found in a field in King and Queen County in November 1991, and her case remained unsolved for nearly 33 years. Investigators credited advancements in DNA technology and the work of the Virginia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative for this break. The evidence was retested by DNA Labs International, leading to the arrest. Colonel Gary T. Settle of the Virginia State Police praised the dedication of agents and analysts in closing the case."

44-year-old arrested on capital murder charge in North Texas cold case from 2008, police say
— Harriet Ramos, MSN.com, Oct 18, 2024

"A 44-year-old has been arrested in connection with the 2008 murder of a North Texas man, police said. Jerry Lee Gardner was arrested in Lufkin in East Texas on Oct. 4, Grand Prairie police said in an Oct. 16 news release. He faces a capital murder charge. Gardner is accused of killing 45-year-old Raymond Hernandez in August 2008. Grand Prairie firefighters found Hernandez’s body when they responded to a blaze in the 2600 block of Channing Drive. An autopsy showed Hernandez was a homicide victim, according to the release."

Raleigh police arrest 58-year-old man connected to 1998 sexual assault case
— WRAL staff, Oct 11, 2024

"The Raleigh Police Department arrested a man on Thursday in connection with a sexual assault case from 1998. David Lee Toney, 58, is facing the following charges: Evidence in this case was gathered as part of the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) launched by the North Carolina Department of Justice."

One case at a time, one victim at a time': An inside look at the lab where rape kits are tested for Jefferson County
— Jon Paepcke, WVTM13, Oct 4, 2024

"Scientists in Hoover are making significant progress in clearing Jefferson County's backlog of untested rape kits, which date back to the 1990s. So far, Jefferson County's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative team has sent the lab 2,735 rape kits, or 68 percent of the backlog, for testing. Based on the lab's ability to test fifty a month, that backlog should be eliminated in the next two years."

Man found guilty of rape in 1992 Virginia cold case after DNA retested with new technology
— JeanneTyler Moodee Lockman, WJLA.com, Sep 26, 2024

"A man was found guilty Wednesday of rape and armed burglary in a 1992 cold case that was reopened in Norfolk, Virginia due to a new DNA testing initiative, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. On May 5, 1992, a woman was in her home with her three sleeping children when a man came in through one of the children’s bedroom windows armed with a knife, according to court documents on the 32-year-old case. The man, identified as Vernon Lorenzo Gay, found the woman in her bedroom and raped her, according to court documents."