Delaware’s Director of Homeland Security Sec. Robert Coupe said mismanagement, short-staffing and lack of oversight led to DNA samples sitting undiscovered for years in the state forensic lab.
A box with 1,600 samples dating back to 2001 was found in 2014, but an investigation wasn’t done until the News Journal discovered the box’s existence last September. It reported one sample could have prevented at least two rapes allegedly committed by a Wilmington man currently charged with those crimes.
The investigation found the database administrator was not able to keep up with the workload. The state Department of Justice has reviewed the findings of Homeland Security’s internal investigation and does not recommend charges.
That investigation found the database administrator was not able to keep up with the workload.
Coupe said in a news release that new procedures and protocols have been put into place since the box’s discovery.
Coupe declined an interview request. In a comment emailed to Delaware Public Media, he said "We're confident in the leadership of the DNA lab and also Director of the Division of Forensic Science John R. Evans and his leadership team that we're in much better place."
A spokeswoman said he is not doing interviews on the results of the investigation and notified Gov. John Carney’s office of that decision. But she argues DHS is being transparent by releasing the investigation’s findings publicly.
