Louisiana Audit Finds Sexual Assault Kit Testing and Tracking Gaps as Thousands of Samples Miss Deadlines and DNA Follow-Up Falters

BATON ROUGE, LA — A Louisiana audit has found major breakdowns in how sexual assault kits are tested, tracked and followed up on after potential DNA matches. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor said hundreds of kits collected over an 18-month period were never submitted to a crime lab, while other samples missed required deadlines along the way.

The review also found that the state’s tracking system can show incomplete or inaccurate information about where a kit is located or what stage it is in. Auditors said those gaps can leave survivors without reliable updates and can make it harder for agencies to move cases forward.

Hundreds of kits were never sent for crime lab testing

According to the audit, 337 of 1,879 reported sexual assault kits collected from July 2024 through December 2025 had not been submitted to a crime lab as of February 2026. That means nearly 18% of the reported kits had not yet reached the testing stage when auditors reviewed the records.

The report also said at least 560 of 2,138 kits collected during that same period did not meet required deadlines for law enforcement pickup or submission to a crime lab. Those missed deadlines point to problems not just at one step, but across the larger chain of handling evidence.

Auditors said state law requires law enforcement to send reported kits to a crime lab, but it does not clearly require labs to test every kit once it arrives. That ambiguity appears to contribute to inconsistent handling across agencies.

Testing decisions vary because Louisiana law is unclear

The audit found that law enforcement agencies and crime labs do not appear to follow the same standards when deciding whether and when kits are tested. In some cases, the difference comes down to how each agency interprets its responsibilities under state law.

That lack of clarity matters because sexual assault kits can contain critical DNA evidence. If a kit is delayed, misrouted or not tested, investigators may lose an opportunity to identify a suspect or confirm a link to another case.

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor recommended clearer rules on which kits must be tested. Auditors said more specific requirements would help eliminate uneven practices and reduce the chance that evidence sits unprocessed for long periods.

Tracking system leaves gaps in kit location and status

Beyond testing, auditors said Louisiana’s kit tracking system is not reliable enough to give a full picture of where each sample is in the process. The system has limited status options, and not every agency participates, which can create holes in the record.

Because of those limits, the database can show incomplete or inaccurate information about a kit’s location and status. For survivors, that can mean the difference between a clear update and a confusing or outdated one.

The audit said Louisiana also lacks an oversight authority and penalties to enforce tracking requirements. Without stronger enforcement, auditors warned, agencies may have little incentive to keep records current or meet deadlines consistently.

CODIS hits need clearer notification and follow-up procedures

The audit also examined what happens when a kit produces a possible DNA match through the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS. Auditors said at least 39 kits collected in fiscal year 2025 led to a CODIS hit that year.

Those matches are only useful if agencies are notified quickly and follow-up work is tracked carefully. The review found the state needs clearer procedures for telling law enforcement about potential matches and for documenting what happens afterward.

State law now requires Louisiana State Police to build a system that tracks unresolved CODIS hits. Auditors said that step could improve accountability if it is implemented consistently and supported by better procedures across agencies.

Survivor impact and what auditors want changed next

The audit said the weaknesses in testing and tracking can have real consequences for survivors of sexual assault. If a kit is not processed on time, or if its status cannot be confirmed, survivors may not get accurate information about an important part of the investigative process.

Auditors recommended stronger oversight, more accurate tracking information and consistent procedures for handling potential DNA matches. They also called for clearer standards so agencies know exactly when kits must be tested and how follow-up should be documented.

In the larger picture, the audit suggests Louisiana still lacks a fully consistent statewide system for managing sexual assault evidence. The findings point to a process that depends too heavily on agency-by-agency practices rather than a uniform set of rules and accountability measures.