LEXINGTON, Ky (LEX 18)– A sexual assault victim found some closure to her 13-year-old cold case Thursday morning when a man was indicted for a 2005 rape. This is thanks to the initiative to test thousands of backlogged rape kits in Kentucky.
LEX 18’s Eleanor Buckley attended a press conference with Attorney General Andy Beshear about how this case, and others like it, are coming to light.
It started three years ago when the Commonwealth addressed a major problem, a backlog of more than 3,100 untested rape kits statewide.
“Each one of those kits represented a victim, a survivor someone that may not have secured justice,” said Beshear.
Jason Langston was arraigned Thursday morning in McCracken County for the rape that happened back in 2005.
“I think the message is important to those individuals who have committed crimes, it doesn’t matter the time, it doesn’t matter the distance, eventually, you are going to be caught,” said Jefferson County attorney Tom Wine.
Beshear wants to make sure a backlog of this magnitude never happens in Kentucky again and has arraigned for all the backlogged kits to be tested.
$4.5 million has been given to Kentucky State Police to fund the improvements needed to make that a reality. It will go towards upgrading the KSP Crime Lab and to aid law enforcement and prosecutors in conducting victim-centered investigations and prosecuting sexual assault offenders.
“I pledge that our Cold Case Unit will continue to work with anyone and everyone around the state that wants to work with us, and we will work to follow up on every single hit that comes up on this backlog,” said Beshear.
