DNA backlog cases at Illinois crime labs down 48%, officials say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- There's an update to an ongoing I-Team investigation into unsolved crimes due to DNA delays.

Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois State Police said the state's DNA crime labs have seen a 48% reduction in DNA backlog cases. The state said its forensic scientists are currently still working on almost 5,000 open DNA cases.

RELATED: Hundreds of Chicago murders may remain unsolved due to DNA processing delays

In 2018, Consumer Investigator Jason Knowles talked to victims' families and uncovered a backlog in the processing of 750 Chicago murder cases.

Since then, Illinois State Police made major workflow changes and added rapid DNA testing. State legislators are holding a hearing on the DNA delay issue Thursday.

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