Solving Violent Crime Through Lawfully Owed DNA: Outcomes of Efforts to Address Missed DNA Samples

This presentation explores the issue of lawfully “owed” DNA, which is a DNA sample from a qualifying offender who should have their DNA sample in CODIS (based on applicable state law), but from whom a sample has never been collected or submitted to a lab for testing. As the first jurisdiction funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative to address lawfully owed DNA, this presentation provides information on the scope of the problem in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, OH), the process by which individuals who owe were identified, the outcomes of these efforts, the lessons learned and recommendations for other jurisdictions. This webinar was hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on April 11, 2023.