The saki grant will enable rccht to effectively prioritize cases with suspect DNA, submit DNA for timely analysis, and successfully investigate and prosecute the case

The County Of Riverside District Attorney's Office received a $1,500,000 Project Grant award on October 1, 2023 from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (CFDA 16.833). The grant funding will enable the District Attorney's Office to enhance its Cold Case Homicide Team's investigative capacity by prioritizing cases with suspect DNA, submitting DNA for timely analysis, and leveraging new forensic techniques like forensic genetic genealogy to successfully investigate and prosecute serial offenders. The grant will also allow the office to partner with certified private labs for DNA testing to increase its overall investigative and prosecutorial capabilities in solving the most heinous crimes in Riverside County and seeking justice for victims and their families.

The funding will increase the teams investigative capacity by bringing new forensic techniques to the forefront (e.g., forensic genetic genealogy) and allow them to partner with certified private labs for DNA testing. Funds from purpose area 4 of the saki grant will allow rccht investigators to pursue new leads based on information acquired through saki funded DNA analysis and to work expediently to identify, arrest, and prosecute these serial offenders. Ultimately, rccht will be able to seek justice for the victims and families of riverside county by solving the most heinous crimes in…