Glimmer of Hope: Providing Justice for Victims of Cold Case Sexual Assaults and Cold Case Sexually Motivated Homicides

Tucson is a southern Arizona city with a population of more than half a million people, located just 60 miles north of the Mexico border. The Tucson Police Department (TPD) is responsible for protecting and serving the residents of Tucson and is the largest law enforcement agency in southern Arizona. In 2019, the TPD eliminated its backlog of unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) with the assistance of the District Attorneys of New York grant; however, there are many cases with unidentified suspects that needed further investigation.
Therefore, TPD seeks to apply advanced DNA methodologies such as familial DNA searches, forensic genealogy searches, or phenotyping/ancestral analysis for cold case sex assaults and sexually motivated homicides.

The TPD project addresses these needs in three ways: maintaining a thorough inventory of all sex assaults and sexually motivated homicides SAKs and evidence, reviewing and prioritizing cases for advanced testing, applying advanced testing on those that require it, and conducting follow-up investigations when possible; maintaining multidisciplinary working group relationships to ensure swift testing, investigation, and prosecution of sexual assault cases and prevent future backlogging; and designating a single site coordinator with the authority to coordinate agencies, analyze systems, and advocate needed changes across agencies. Key partners under this project include the Pima County Attorney’s Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety, Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault, and Pima County Attorney’s Office Victim Services Division, among others.