Crime labs must work faster, be accurate

When viewers of shows like "CSI" sit down for a new episode each week, they are often treated to a story where crimes are solved within the hour by labs using forensic science and bits of DNA from a fingernail or blood to make an iron-clad case against a criminal.

However, in the real world it takes crimes labs much longer than a day or week to put a case to rest. This is evident in the death of former Marshall student Leah Hickman, whose body was found dead at her Huntington apartment Dec. 21, 2007.

Since that time the story of how she died has crept back into the news on a regular basis as local citizens and media seek closure to the case. According to a story in The Parthenon on Tuesday, mitochondrial DNA evidence from the crime scene is being tested in Phoenix, and hopefully results will help authorities in the coming weeks.

The question that still remains why it takes 15 months for there to be any movement in cases like this. If a recent study is correct, it turns out the crime labs that handle this evidence might be a reason for the lag in the process.

A study published last week by the National Academy of Sciences, the nation's leading scientific body that often advises Congress, reported there was a backlog of 359,000 requests for analysis in 2005. We can't imagine that number has gone down much in four years.

The study also mentions that around 80 percent of crime lab staffs are understaffed. If in fact forensic labs are in dire need of reform, not only to increase speed but also so the court system can rely on accurate evidence analysis, then Congress definitely needs to consider fixing the system.

On both sides of the courtroom people have a right to fair and speedy trials. For the families of victims such as Leah Hickman, they should not have to wait a year for closure.