What Decades of Sexual Assault Kit Testing Have Taught Us

Every sexual assault kit represents more than evidence.

It represents a person. An act of violence. A search for answers that, in many cases, can take years, or even decades, to fully realize.

Over time, advancements in forensic DNA analysis have transformed what’s possible. But just as important as the science are the lessons learned from the cases themselves, lessons that continue to shape how evidence is tested, interpreted, and used to support investigations.

This Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we’re reflecting on five key lessons learned from decades of sexual assault kit (SAK) testing and the cases behind them.

Every Kit Has Value—Even When the Suspect Is Known

For many years, testing efforts often focused on cases involving unknown offenders. But experience and real-world outcomes have shown that testing and uploading DNA to CODIS is just as critical in cases where a suspect is known, named, or even deceased.

A single sexual assault kit has the potential to do far more than support one investigation. It can connect cases across jurisdictions, identify serial offenders, and even help solve homicides.

Case in point:

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Previously untested DNA from 'unprovable' rape case leads to arrest in 1979 California campground murder”

On September 28, 1979, a woman was found raped, beaten, strangled, and left for dead. Nobody knew who she was, and evidence collected at the scene, including a sexual assault kit, was unable to provide any leads. In 2015, the victim’s name, Patricia Carnahan, was finally returned to her when the case was reopened by the El Dorado County Cold Case Unit.

A break in identifying the suspect came years later from a different state. In 2023, an effort to eliminate Washington state’s sexual assault kit backlog finally provided investigators the lead they needed. A1994 SAK from an “unprovable” case where the suspect was known to the victim was finally tested and the DNA uploaded to CODIS. It hit to the DNA from Patricia’s homicide and finally identified the suspect.

This type of outcome is not isolated.

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Man charged in 'Lovers Lane' cold case killings: 'We got him

In 2025, a new sergeant reviewing Houston’s infamous “Lovers Lane” case from 1990 and came across a tip that changed everything. A sexual assault kit from a 1996 rape with a known suspect had recently been tested and uploaded into CODIS. It was a match to the SAK DNA collected from Lovers Lane female victim.

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Ventura County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Identifies Serial Rapist, Brings Long-Awaited Answers to Victims

After being tested and uploaded into CODIS, two kits, one from 1982 and another from 1983, from Ventura County California’s SAKI program matched to each other, linking the cases. They then also matched to cases in 1994 in Okemos, Michigan, 1995 in Birmingham, Michigan, and 1997 in Columbus, Ohio. These five cases wouldn’t have been connected without the SAKs uploaded into CODIS. While the perpetrator is deceased, he was believed to have lived or spent time in 14 U.S. states, implying more yet to be tested SAKs are out there with his DNA in them.

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Phoenix police use DNA to arrest suspect in decades-old rape and kidnapping cases

Four kidnapping rapes occurred in Phoenix, AZ between 1998 and 2013. In 2025, also as part of Ventura County’s SAKI program, DNA from a 1994 sexual assault with a known suspect was uploaded into CODIS and matched to the four cases in Phoenix.

These cases reinforce a critical truth: The value of a sexual assault kit extends far beyond a single case file.

Do Not Underestimate the Power of CODIS

The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) remains one of the most powerful tools available to investigators. Time and again, CODIS has helped identify offenders years—or even decades—after a crime occurred. These hits not only help close cases, but also reveal patterns of repeat offending that may have otherwise gone undetected.

Recent cases continue to highlight this impact:

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Ronald Fischer Sentenced to Serve 15 Years for 1995 Sexual Assault of 17 Year Old

A 1995 sexual assault kit was uploaded to CODIS in 2022 as part of the Alaska Capital Project, and immediately matched to a suspect who was then arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced.

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Police search for more victims after man is charged with sexually assaulting 2 woman over 35 years ago

In 1988 and in 1990, two women were sexually assaulted by a stranger. In 2025, the suspect was identified thanks to a CODIS DNA match. He was already in prison in Virginia for similar crimes.

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Cold Case Unit Identifies Offender in Sexual Assault Investigation

In 1993 there was a burglary and sexual assault with evidence that did not result to any leads. In 2022, as part of North Carolina’s sexual assault kit backlog reduction, the SAK was tested and uploaded into CODIS, resulting in a match to a previously convicted felon, currently serving time for another burglary.

CODIS is more than a database—it is a bridge between cases, jurisdictions, and time.

Strategic Use of FIGG Can Unlock the Most Challenging Cases

In cases where traditional investigative leads have been exhausted, Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG) has emerged as a powerful tool. But like any advanced method, its impact is strongest when used strategically—particularly in complex cases involving unknown or serial offenders.

Across the country, agencies are applying FIGG to generate new leads:

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Authorities Arrest Multi-State Rapist in Oklahoma After Years-long Investigation

In 2021, a woman in Texas and a woman in Oklahoma were sexually assaulted. DNA evidence linked the cases through CODIS, suggesting the same offender. Years later, investigators revisited the cases and submitted them for advanced DNA testing and forensic investigative genetic genealogy. A suspect was confirmed, identified, and arrested in 2026.

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Stephen Paul Gale found guilty on all counts in 1989 Framingham rape trial

In 1989, a man entered a retail store, threatened and raped two employees at gunpoint. DNA from critical evidence was uploaded to CODIS in 2001 with no hits. Years later, the investigators were able to turn to Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy to pinpoint a likely suspect. In 2024, after years on the run, Stephen Paul Gale was apprehended and brought back to face trial.

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Former Ice Cream Truck Driver Nicholas Carney Receives Life For 1991 North Texas Child Assault

In 1991, an eight-year-old girl was abducted in Plano, Texas, sexually assaulted, and released miles from home. Years later, a similar assault in Dallas was linked through CODIS. In 2023, the Plano Police Department and the Texas Rangers re-examined preserved evidence using modern forensic genetic genealogy to identify an ice cream truck driver as the suspect.

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Cold Case Solved: Deceased Serial Rapist Identified in Bastrop Co. After Nearly 30 Years

Sexual assault kits from 1997, 2004, and 2005 home invasion sexual assaults were tested as part of Texas’s SAKI program and matched to each other, indicating a single perpetrator. Investigators used FIGG to identify the no deceased suspect in 2025.

These cases demonstrate that even when a suspect cannot be identified through traditional means, new pathways to answers still exist.

Testing SAKs Protects the Innocent

While much of the focus is rightly placed on identifying offenders, DNA testing also plays a critical role in ensuring justice is accurate. Testing sexual assault kits can exonerate the innocent and redirect investigations toward the true perpetrator.

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DNA exonerates man wrongfully convicted of Simi Valley rape in 1983

Ventura County’s sexual assault kit initiative also tested kits from cases with convictions. A 1983 SAK found the DNA did not match the man who had been convicted and imprisoned. Richard Luna was declared innocent in December of 2025.

These cases serve as a powerful reminder: DNA evidence doesn’t just solve crimes, it helps ensure the right person is held accountable.

Re-examining Partially Tested Kits Can Change Everything

Not all sexual assault kits have been tested using today’s standards. Many were:

Limited to serology only
Never advanced to DNA analysis
Not uploaded to CODIS using current methodologies

Revisiting this evidence can unlock answers that were often not available at the time.

Recent case solves underscore the value of testing these kits:

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Man in custody for 2009 sexual assault cold case

A little girl was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in 2009. The sexual assault kit collected a the time was tested and did not yield any results. The kit was recently retested and uploaded to CODIS, where it matched with a suspect.

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Arizona man indicted for decades-old sex crimes

Maricopa County, Arizona’s sexual assault kit backlog reduction included the testing of partially tested kits. Four cases involving teenaged girls between 2000 and 2005 were linked to a single suspect thanks to advancements in technology.

Advancements in technology and renewed attention to previously tested evidence continue to create new opportunities for resolution.

Every Kit Represents an Opportunity for Answers

Behind every sexual assault kit is a person waiting for answers.

These lessons are not theoretical. They are drawn from real cases, real investigations, and real outcomes that continue to shape the future of forensic science.

We are grateful to the investigators, forensic professionals, and advocates who remain committed to this work and to ensuring that no case, and no victim, is forgotten.