Jefferson City, Mo. • There are close to 4,900 untested rape kits in Missouri, and that number likely is low because some agencies couldn’t say exactly how many kits they have, according to a review by the state attorney general’s office.
Attorney General Josh Hawley, who launched an audit of the state’s rape kit backlog in November 2017, announced the findings Thursday in what he said was the first such review.
Rape kits contain DNA samples and other evidence secured during medical procedures conducted immediately after an attack. They can be used by law enforcement and prosecutors to catch and convict rapists, and Hawley said the kits “represent a chance to put criminals behind bars.