MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It’s been talked about many times in the past year or so, but there’s a new effort to have a crime lab in Memphis and Shelby County.
This time, leading the charge are County Mayor Lee Harris and District Attorney Steve Mulroy, who say it is desperately needed in Memphis.
When it comes to examining key forensics evidence connected to criminal cases from Memphis and Shelby County, the nearest crime lab is 85 miles away in Jackson, and it’s run by the TBI.
Mayor Lee Harris and District Attorney Steve Mulroy are leading a renewed push for a crime lab just for Memphis and Shelby County.
“If funding is approved, we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to aid law enforcement agencies in this area to solve crime and identify perpetrators,” said Mayor Harris.
During a Shelby County Commission committee meeting, a crime lab proposal was unveiled focusing on three areas: ballistics investigations, cell phone forensics, and rapid DNA testing to help speed up the solve rate.
“We all know we used to have a local crime lab. The state moved it to Jackson. I’m not criticizing that move, but I am saying the need is very great in Memphis and Shelby County,” said Mulroy.
The need for a crime lab took center stage after Memphis teacher and runner Eliza Fletcher was abducted and later found dead. A rape kit test that took about a year to process with the TBI eventually matched DNA to her killer, Cleotha Abston, who pled guilty to her murder in October.
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“The idea is to complement what TBI is doing in key focused areas where there is a local need and not to try to compete with TBI,” said Mulroy.
A University of Memphis Feasibility Study shows the crime lab would cost about $5.5 million.
WREG spoke with Commissioner Mick Wright about what he heard and if the crime lab is needed.
“Talked about cell phone cases involving cell phone tracking and also some ballistics capabilities we could grow here, and that would speed up the process and help us identify those individuals involved in violent crime,” said Wright.
County leaders say a new freestanding facility would not be needed for the crime lab. Instead, they would use current resources and possibly get some funding from Memphis and its suburbs.
