$2 million for DNA in Virginia

A state lab in Virginia will receive a grant worth $2 million to help with the backlog of 2,000 cases.

The money will be used to train new forensic scientists, purchase automated equipment, make renovations and pay overtime when needed, Ferrara said.

Virginia, with one of the largest DNA databases in the country, has been a national leader in using DNA to solve crimes and prosecute suspects. And analyses of genetic material collected years before DNA testing was available have, in some cases, helped exonerate convicted prisoners.

Posted by katherine at 12:28 PM