Illinois State Police crime lab looking for 26 forensic scientists to tackle DNA backlog

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Illinois State Police crime lab said it has posted positions for 26 forensic scientists to help reduce the massive backlog of cases awaiting DNA analysis.

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

In November, Jason Knowles and the ABC7 I-Team uncovered the massive backlog of cases. There were more than 750 Chicago-area murder cases from waiting years with viable DNA samples that were awaiting analysis.

RELATED: Illinois State Police making changes to address DNA processing delays

After the I-Team's investigation, lawmakers held public hearings and the Illinois State Police later announced an overhaul of the DNA lab program.