As police increasingly rely on DNA evidence to find "whodunit," the demand for analysis of the biological samples has led to an overload at crime labs in some states.
South Carolina has a backlog of 10,000 untested samples from convicted offenders, which means a delay in finding out whether those inmates can be connected to other crimes. An average of 500 new samples come to the lab every month.
Lab workers also are having trouble getting to all of the DNA evidence available from decades-old cases that remain unsolved, state officials said.
Georgia is staying ahead of the game by using robots to perform some of the time-consuming tasks. Samples sent to its crime labs generally take no more than three months to turn around, said George Herrin, the assistant deputy director of Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab. Most are completed in 45 to 60 days, he said.
Georgia officials cut down on wasted time by limiting what they test. If the lead suspect in a rape is identified by evidence collected from the victim, bedding or clothing might not be tested, Dr. Herrin said.
"It can be expensive and time-consuming," he said.
Police should be happy with the turnaround times in Georgia, Dr. Herring said.
"We're not doing them the day they come in, but they aren't sitting on the shelf for a year and a half," he said. "We're a lot better than other states."
In Florida, nearly 2,700 requests for DNA analysis on open cases are waiting for testing in the state's five crime labs, state officials said. There are also 8,300 DNA inmate samples pending.
It's worse in California, where there are nearly 30,000 untested samples from convicted offenders, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Funding is an issue in South Carolina, where officials rely on federal money to pay for some lab resources, said DNA lab supervisor Lt. Ira Jeffcoat of the State Law Enforcement Division.
"The timetable is based on when money is available," he said.
Police say the slaying of Jessica Carpenter in Aiken was solved by DNA testing required of convicted felons in Georgia. The DNA of Robert Atkins was placed in a nationwide database and matched evidence found at the crime scene, authorities said.
Aiken police say the case might have remained unsolved if Mr. Atkins were in a South Carolina prison, where only violent offenders are required to surrender DNA samples. Mr. Atkins violated probation on a felony theft charge in Georgia, where all felons must submit a sample.
Still, the crime lab in the Palmetto State helps law enforcement agencies by putting some cases on the fast track. When Reinaldo Rivera was thought to be involved in Jessica's death, SLED rushed the order and cleared him, said Aiken Public Safety Capt. Dwayne Courtney.
"Years ago, it took them four to five months" to test DNA samples, he said. "That's been getting much better."
The work backlog used to be so large that Aiken County Coroner Sue Townsend began sending toxicology samples to a private lab to avoid the delay at the state lab.
Capt. Courtney said the state needs more funding for the DNA labs.
"We have to ask ourselves if we want to spend the money on DNA technology ... the greatest technology there is," he said. "I think the answer to that is absolutely. Yes."
Associated Press reports were used in this article.
Reach Greg Rickabaugh at (706) 828-3851 or greg.rickabaugh@augustachronicle.com.
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