DETROIT – It gets more and more troubling with each passing day: As thousands of rape kits are finally tested after being found in a Detroit police storage facility five years ago, more serial rapists are being identified.
Thousands of untested rape kits, millions of dollars needed to test them and a prosecutor who won't stop until the work is done. Prosecutor Kim Worthy broke down the up-to-date numbers at Thursday night's police commission meeting.
"Rapes do not stop at Eight Mile Road, they don't stop at the city line, they don't stop at the county line, they don't stop at the state line," said Worthy. "We have to really get really busy and get this money raised so we can investigate and prosecute these cases."
Since the 11,342 untested rape kits were found in 2009, more than 1,600 have been tested. As of two days ago there's been 760 forensic hits and 188 serial rapists have been identified.
It is all about justice and there are several stories, such as the 10-year-old Detroit boy who 12 years ago stood outside a store asking to help customers for a little money until a dangerous man came along. He took the boy to his home, tied him up and raped him. The boy's mother reported the rape but the investigation fell through, until his untested kit was found and tested.
"He was found immediately by investigators. He told us he wanted to prosecute. He always had wanted to prosecute," said Worthy. "His mother also wanted to prosecute and now I think it's 35 to 70 years that he's doing in prison."
Those untested kits are being evaluated by two separate labs.