Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Project

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West Virginia began it's unsubmitted sexual assault kit initiative with the receipt of funds in 2015-2016 from the New York District Attorney (DANY) Sexual Assault Kit Backlog Elimination Program ($1,763,281 to the WV State Police Forensic Lab for the testing of sexual assault kits) and the Bureau of Justice National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative ($2,170,800 to the WV Division of Justice and Community Services for investigation, prosecution and victim support services in cases involving unsubmitted sexual assault kits). An inventory of sexual assault kits located in law enforcement evidence rooms, medical examiners offices, hospitals, and the crime lab was completed in July 2018. Inventoried sexual assault kits totaled 3,202 during this process. These kits were categorized as unsubmitted to the crime lab, paritally tested, and "non-reports" to law enforcement. All kits will be tested except for those identified as "non-reports". 

To date, 2,664 previously unsubmitted/untested kits have been tested in WV with 1,111 DNA profiles identified and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). A total of 450+ CODIS hits/matches have been obtained in the database matching profiles of offenders across 28 state.

In January 2024, the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney's Office became a subgrantee on the WV SAKI Grant and provided a "home" for the WV SAKI Coordinator and Investigator. The project continues to build investigative infrastructure with the creation of the West Virginina State Police Violent Crime Task Force (WVSP VCTF) in March of 2025 to support the work with WVSP and local law enforcement agencies on WVSAKI cases, in addition to other violence crime cases.

More information on the SAKI project may be located at https://sakitta.org/westvirginia/​.

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WV SAKI Stats ( As of June 2025)

2,664 kits tested (MUFSC & BODE Technology)

1,106 DNA profiles identified & entered into CODIS (41%)

418 Offender hits obtained in the database

• 28 Case-to-case hits (Forensic Hits)
  
• Total Hits = 448 (40%)
  • 8 WV Counties with Zero (0) CODIS hits
  • 29 WV Counties have been contacted

212 WV SAKI Cases have been closed!

• 85 CODIS hit cases have been closed
• 89 Kits/Cases with NO DNA have been closed
• 25 Kits/Cases WITH DNA & NO CODIS hit have been closed
• 83 Kits/Cases cleared by arrest, plea, warrant or conviction (​​39%)
  

WV SAKI HIGHLIGHTS

June 2024 - WV SAKI hired a full-time investigator to assist Law Enforcement agencies with investigations & prosecutions

March 19, 2025 - Creation of the West Virginia State Police Violent Crime Task Force

• Created to support the work on WVSP& outside agency WV SAKI cases, in addition to other WV Violent Crime Cases.
  
• Assigned 3-4 BCI Investigators to support WV SAKI Cases (March 2025)
• Assigned 7-9 WVSP Troopers locaed regionally across the state to support WV SAKI Cases (July 2025)