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Hundreds of suspects identified after Detroit rape kit testing

Posted at 4:24 PM, Oct 06, 2015
and last updated 2015-10-06 16:24:07-04

DETROIT, Mich. — Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and a coalition of women’s groups gathered Tuesday to kick off the “Enough Said African American 490 Challenge,” a push to raise money to finish testing more than 11,000 rape kits that were found in a Detroit Police storage closet.

Michigan State Police and Gov. Rick Snyder announced in early September that more than 10,000 of the kits had been tested since they were discovered in 2009.   Of the kits that were tested, more than 2,600 were linked to the FBI’s CODIS database.

According to FOX 2 in Detroit, 549 suspected serial rapists have been identified.  Worthy said at the September press conference that all cases with CODIS matches will be investigated and prosecuted.

The ‘490 Challenge’ group’s goal is to raise the money needed for testing the remaining 1,300 kits.  Each kit costs $490 to test.

Donations have come in from all 50 states and from other countries, according to FOX 2.  You can learn more about the “African American 490 Challnege” or donate here.