Marsha Blackburn wants Tennessee prosecutors to get answers in days, not months. “Justice should never be delayed,” Blackburn said Monday. “As governor, I’ll work to expand rapid DNA testing across Tennessee to give law enforcement the tools they need to put criminals behind bars.”
Hamilton County District Attorney General Coty Wamp explained why it matters. “Rapid DNA has proven to be extremely valuable in major crime cases in our community,” she said. “Historically, it takes TBI to return DNA results weeks, if not months. Sometimes in criminal justice, we don’t have that long. With rapid DNA, TBI can return results to us within 48 to 72 hours.”
Wamp pointed to a recent Hamilton County missing-person case where blood was found in the home. “We needed to very quickly know whether that blood was that of the missing person or potentially another victim,” she said. “That’s just one example of when rapid DNA can be used to assist prosecutors and investigators.”
“My conversations with Marsha Blackburn, I know that she is supportive of expanding the resources for rapid DNA,” Wamp said. “It will help all of our prosecutors’ offices across the state and all law enforcement agencies. Senator Blackburn will not only be a friend of criminal justice, but she will expand all resources for us to have all the tools we need to successfully prosecute criminals.”
Blackburn thanked Wamp “for leading the way.” Early voting in Tennessee runs through Thursday, Oct. 29, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
