CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More money, more results. That's the mindset of North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein who believes adding even more resources to tackle the state's backlog of rape test kits could help make all the difference.
Stein is now requesting $9 million in addition to 12 more scientists to help make the rape kit testing process happen much more quickly.
“We owe it to those people to test their kits and try to put that rapist behind bars," Stein said. "The great news is when we test these kits we solve cold cases.”
In 2019, the state legislature passed the Survivors Act rewarding $6,000 to help tackle the rape kit backlog. At the time, there were more than 16,000 kits waiting to be tested.
Now that number has been nearly cut in half.
“What we need is more funds from the general assembly in order to finish the job," Stein said.
Krista Maiden, a sexual assault survivor, recalls the trauma of her attack in Uptown Charlotte back in 2015 like it was yesterday.
“I thought he was going to kill me," Maiden said. “I remember thinking, 'This man can not do this to anyone else.'"
She waited more than two years for her rape kit to be tested and eventually a DNA match was found.
“It just felt like an eternity it was very difficult waiting," Maiden said.
She said her attacker was indicted, but never prosecuted due to a lack of additional evidence according to the district attorney. Maiden now hopes more rapidly testing the rape kits is just the start for more changes to come.
“To put that evidence to use you have to have law enforcement who is knowledgeable about how to properly interview a victim and they need to understand what comes along with trauma," Maiden said.
Contact Briana Harper at bharper@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.