Tennessee eyes $2M in contracts to test 1000 rape kits

By JONATHAN MATTISE
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s lead investigative agency is seeking $2 million in contracts with outside labs to process 1,000 rape kits that need to be tested before the end of June. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued the request for proposals for up to three contractors, as the state’s turnaround times for sexual assault kits continue to face scrutiny after the high-profile killing of teacher Eliza Fletcher in September. As of October, the agency said the average turnaround time for a rape kit was 43 weeks at the Knoxville lab, 42.3 at the Jackson lab and 32.7 at the Nashville lab. The bureau wants the contractors on board by the end of January.