New federal funding targets the Metro Police Crime Lab's backlog of sexual assault kits

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – When Memphis mother and kindergarten teacher Eliza Fletcher was killed over two years ago, the issue of untested sexual assault kits in Tennessee came to the surface beyond the case.

The man convicted of Fletcher's murder should have been arrested in connection with a rape years ago, police said. However, the rape kit in this case was untested, so he remained a free man.

“The perpetrators of these crimes are ticking time bombs just waiting to find their next victim,” said Verna Wyatt, co-founder of Tennessee Voices for Victims.

In response to the backlog under so much scrutiny, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation not only ramped up its testing but also outsourced 1,100 kits to a lab in Florida.

Executives say these initiatives increased their processing speed threefold compared to 2022.

“The sooner they get them off the road, the safer the roads will be,” Wyatt said. “That’s just a fact.”

Metro police leaders hope to replicate that practice here. In a grant they received from the federal government, if approved by the Metro Council, they would devote nearly a quarter of a million dollars to their own backlog problem they say they are facing.

According to the funding application, part of the funds will also go towards expanding the MNPD's forensic biology laboratory, where these kits will be tested.

“The sooner you catch this person, the sooner they won’t have the opportunity to create another victim,” Wyatt said.

Wyatt has been a victim advocate in Tennessee for decades. Since her own sister was raped and murdered, she has dedicated her life to making sure families don't have to go through the same pain alone.

She believes outsourcing untested kits will bring quicker justice to victims.

“It’s scary for a victim to wait without knowing who the perpetrator is,” Wyatt said. “I think most victims think, 'Maybe he'll come back and get me again.' But they also think, 'He'll do it again.'”

Wyatt hopes that outsourcing will not only eliminate the backlog, but also prevent the recidivism rate from creating a vast network of victims.

“I would say that the long-term costs of victimization are far greater than just caring about it at first glance,” Wyatt said.

The resolution will be presented to the Metro Council Public Health and Safety Committee at its meeting on Thursday, November 7th.

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