Law enforcement officials in Kentucky plan to apply a growing technology to testing sexual assault kits, possibly leading to suspect identification within hours — not months.
Kentucky officials announced Wednesday their plan to take advantage of what's called "rapid DNA" technology in which machines analyze a forensic sample and can produce a DNA profile within about two hours.
The technology would more quickly identify suspects and exonerate the innocent, state police Commissioner Rick Sanders said.
He said that Kentucky will be the first state in the nation to use the technology for its sexual assault cases.
"In time, this should drastically reduce sexual assault crimes across the state," Sanders said.