Colorado officials say they have eliminated rape kit backlog

Authorities in Colorado say they have eliminated a backlog of untested rape kits, putting investigators closer to solving hundreds of cases.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said Friday it cleared a backlog of more than 3,500 kits, some decades old. Investigators then turned up 691 matches in a national DNA database, giving police a new chance at finding suspects.

The agency began sending the evidence to out-of-state labs after Colorado lawmakers passed legislation in 2013 mandating a statewide accounting of untested rape kits. Police didn’t submit them for testing earlier, sometimes because victims decided not to prosecute.

Authorities say the testing helped solve the 1984 sex assault of a Greeley waitress by two men who are now awaiting trial on kidnapping charges.

District Attorney Michael Rourke says the effort gives victims closure.