Just Sexual Assault Response For Cases Without DNA Evidence

In this 2024 Sexual Assault Awareness Month special release episode, Just Science sat down with Erin House, Special Assistant Attorney General in Michigan; Richard Johnson, Kalamazoo SAKI Investigator; and Lindsey King, Kalamazoo Community-based Victim Advocate, to discuss their team-based approach for investigating sexual assault cold cases. While DNA can be a helpful tool for convicting sexual assault offenders, many sexual assault cold cases do not include DNA evidence. As a result, it is important for investigators and prosecutors to utilize a variety of methods to bring a sexual assault case to justice. Listen along as Erin, Rich, and Lindsey discuss how their team first approaches a cold case, examples of case success stories, and how a multidisciplinary approach ensures that survivors are always supported and heard. This episode is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence. Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses, or may not be appropriate for younger audiences