Tanya Mosley

How long did it take for these kids to get out into the world outside of Chicago? Chicago instituted the kids, and then the rest of the country followed suit.

These kits really did bring legitimacy to the investigative process. You also write that they allowed for the theater of belief in the courtroom. Can you say more about that?

These kits really did bring legitimacy to the investigative process. You also write that they allowed for the theater of belief in the courtroom. Can you say more about that?

These kits really did bring legitimacy to the investigative process. You also write that they allowed for the theater of belief in the courtroom. Can you say more about that?

How was the evidence used before DNA evidence? How were they able to use the evidence from the kits to find the perpetrator?

How was the evidence used before DNA evidence? How were they able to use the evidence from the kits to find the perpetrator?

How was the evidence used before DNA evidence? How were they able to use the evidence from the kits to find the perpetrator?

Let's take a short break. If you're just joining us, my guest is journalist Pagan Kennedy. We're talking about her new book, The Secret History of the Rape Kid, which is about the untold story of Marty Goddard, the woman who created a way for law enforcement to investigate rape and sexual assault. We'll continue our conversation after a short break. This is Fresh Air.

Let's take a short break. If you're just joining us, my guest is journalist Pagan Kennedy. We're talking about her new book, The Secret History of the Rape Kid, which is about the untold story of Marty Goddard, the woman who created a way for law enforcement to investigate rape and sexual assault. We'll continue our conversation after a short break. This is Fresh Air.

Let's take a short break. If you're just joining us, my guest is journalist Pagan Kennedy. We're talking about her new book, The Secret History of the Rape Kid, which is about the untold story of Marty Goddard, the woman who created a way for law enforcement to investigate rape and sexual assault. We'll continue our conversation after a short break. This is Fresh Air.

There's also this socio, I guess you could call it like socio-racial justice element to the rape kit. Because not just for the survivors, but for men who are wrongly convicted or accused of rape. What was Marty's role in bringing awareness to that? In particular, black and brown men being unjustly accused of rape.

There's also this socio, I guess you could call it like socio-racial justice element to the rape kit. Because not just for the survivors, but for men who are wrongly convicted or accused of rape. What was Marty's role in bringing awareness to that? In particular, black and brown men being unjustly accused of rape.

There's also this socio, I guess you could call it like socio-racial justice element to the rape kit. Because not just for the survivors, but for men who are wrongly convicted or accused of rape. What was Marty's role in bringing awareness to that? In particular, black and brown men being unjustly accused of rape.

I mean, the assumption that I think we've all had is that once DNA came on the scene, it would right the wrongs. It should have radically changed forensics and the ability to go back and test older kits and get dangerous people off the street and exonerate people who have been accused. wrongly accused. Do you have an understanding of how much that happened as we got into the 90s and the 2000s?

I mean, the assumption that I think we've all had is that once DNA came on the scene, it would right the wrongs. It should have radically changed forensics and the ability to go back and test older kits and get dangerous people off the street and exonerate people who have been accused. wrongly accused. Do you have an understanding of how much that happened as we got into the 90s and the 2000s?

I mean, the assumption that I think we've all had is that once DNA came on the scene, it would right the wrongs. It should have radically changed forensics and the ability to go back and test older kits and get dangerous people off the street and exonerate people who have been accused. wrongly accused. Do you have an understanding of how much that happened as we got into the 90s and the 2000s?

I know we've seen a dip in the numbers of people being wrongly accused, but we also see this huge backlog.

I know we've seen a dip in the numbers of people being wrongly accused, but we also see this huge backlog.

I know we've seen a dip in the numbers of people being wrongly accused, but we also see this huge backlog.

Why was there even a backlog to begin with? I think Detroit or Michigan was one of the first places we began to hear of thousands and thousands of rape kits that had yet to be tested.