FLINT, Mich. (AP) - Flint police say sexual assault kits discovered unprocessed in a department evidence room are being examined with help from a TV show.
Chief James Tolbert said Thursday some of the nearly 250 kits date back as early as 2003 and the testing of 71 kits has helped identify six possible suspects.
The Flint Journal reports the kits, which are assembled by hospital staff and contain biological evidence such as DNA, were brought to Tolbert's attention after he joined the department in 2013. Officials have been working since then to get them processed.
Flint's state-appointed emergency manager in February signed an agreement with TNT's "Cold Justice" to give the show's production company access to evidence, police reports and interrogation information associated with the kits. The show is paying for tests.