PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — From analyzing drugs like fentanyl, to testing firearms in tanks of water, the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab enhances public safety in a multitude of ways.
On Monday night, KOIN 6 was given a rare look at the work forensic scientists do at the WSP lab in Vancouver, as they piece together puzzles and help get justice for victims.
During the tour, forensic scientists showed KOIN 6 how they analyze and compare evidence ahead of trial.
“We’re bringing people to justice and it’s a fantastic feeling,” said Trevor Chowen, supervising forensics scientist at the WSP crime lab.
Recreating weapons is another aspect of the job for those who work in the crime lab.
“We can go to our reference collection and disassemble the suspect gun and the reference section gun and hopefully be able to cannibalize it a little bit so that we can make a gun that actually works,” said John Dunn, materials analysis supervisor.
But now, the lab is known for tackling the bulk of sexual assault DNA cases in the state.
“Every 68 seconds, a woman is sexually assaulted. If a rape kit comes in here we have 45 days to process that,” said Michelle Bart, president of the National Women’s Coalition Against Violence & Exploitation.
After Washington passed a law in 2015, requiring all sexual assault kits to be processed for DNA, in 2019 the WSP Crime Lab built a high-throughput facility to outsource and nearly eliminated the more than 9,000 kits backlogged in Washington — out of the over 9,000 cases, 97% have been processed.
In May 2022, the lab began processing kits on a 45-day turnaround, taking the majority of Washington’s cases.
“It’s a big load. The turnaround time is fast in comparison to other forensic labs around the country. This is very quick. It’s difficult, but it’s good work,” Chowen said.
WSP says of the more than 1,500 sexual assault kits processed by their five labs last year, 93% were completed within that 45-day window, with the Vancouver lab processing 68%.
“If there is an unknown perpetrator, to try to identify that individual through the use of CODIS {Combined DNA Index System} in a fast matter, just six weeks or so, is amazing. Then we can let the police departments know, they can go find that individual and bring them to justice,” Chowen said.
