WE
WE DO
WE DO HAVE COLD AIR BACK IN PLACE I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN
IT ARRIVES COMING UP.
>>> SUSPECTED SERIAL SEXUAL
ASSAULT PERSON CAUGHT.
AJ, THE LATEST DISCOVERY IN OUR
CONTINUING INVESTIGATION THE
UNTESTED.
UNTESTED.
UNTESTED. >> Reporter: ON THE SHORE OF
LAKE SUPERIOR IN DULUTH, PARK
POINT, A 19-YEAR-OLD GIRL
REPORTED BEING GANG IN 2008.
HER KIT SOLVED THE CASE.
DNA FROM THE SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT
QUICKLY POINTED TO DANE MULLEN,
A FELON WITH ARMED ROBBERY ON
HIS RAP SHEET IN AUGUST HE WAS
CONVICTED FOR AIDING AND
ABETTING A SEXUAL ASSAULT.
>> WE'VE HAD CASES THAT CAN BE
SOLVED THAT OF BEEN CHARGED.
>> THE DETECTIVE TASKED WITH
INVESTIGATING CASES TIED TO
500+ PREVIOUSLY UNTESTED SEXUAL
ASSAULT KIT.
ASSAULT KIT. DNA FROM THE BEACH SEXUAL
ASSAULT POINTED DETECTIVE
BARRETT TO THIS MAN JESSE, LEE.
>> EXCUSE ME I'M WITH KARE 11.
>> REPORTS SHOW HIS SPERM CELL
DNA WAS FOUND ON THE VICTIMS
CLOTHING AND NOT JUST THAT CASE
ACCORDING TO CRIMINAL CHARGES
HIS DNA ALSO TIES TO A 2011,
UNSOLVED SEXUAL ASSAULT.
HE ASSAULTED ANOTHER WOMAN IN
2018, HE DENIED THE CHARGES.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING HE WANTS TO
TALK ABOUT.
TALK ABOUT. >> I WANT TO ASK ABOUT ALL OF
THESE WOMEN YOU ARE ACCUSED OF
ASSAULTING.
ASSAULTING. >> THESE ARE JUST TWO OF THE
MEN TO BE CRIMINALLY CHARGED
WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT HERE IN
DULUTH BECAUSE AFTER YEARS OF
DELAY DNA TESTING WAS FINALLY
DONE ON PREVIOUSLY UNCHECKED
KIDS.
KIDS.
KIDS. >>
KIDS. >> SO FAR 13 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
CHARGED AND FIVE OF THEM HAVE
LED GUILTY OR BEEN CONVICTED.
THREE OF THE SUSPECTS INCLUDING
TICHENOR HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH
MULTIPLE SEXUAL ASSAULTS.
>> SERIAL ASSAULTS.
>> IS MINNESOTA MISSING SERIAL
ASSAULTS DUE TO UNTESTED KITS?
THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW.
DULUTH IS THE ONLY COMMUNITY IN
THE STATE TO COMPLETE TESTING
ON THE OLD KITS.
>> TESTING THE KID IS REALLY
IMPORTANT AND I THINK USING
THEM TO MAKE THESE CONNECTIONS
IS KEY.
IS KEY.
IS KEY. >> MARY IS COORDINATING THE
TESTING OF THE KITS.
>> WE HAVE TO BE HONEST ABOUT
IT.
IT.
IT. WE
IT. WE HAVE TO BE HUMBLE, AND SAY
WE BROKE TRUST WITH SOME OF OUR
COMMUNITY MEMBERS BY NOT
TESTING THE KITS.
>> IT'S A TRUST THAT WAS BROKEN
ACROSS MINNESOTA AND THE
NATION.
NATION.
NATION. >> THERE IS NO REASON TO NOT
SUBMIT A KID.
>> MARIAN O'NEILL IS OUTSPOKEN
IN HER BELIEF AS LONG AS THE
VICTIM CONSENTS ALL OF
MINNESOTA'S KITS SHOULD BE
TESTED.
TESTED.
TESTED. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> SO FAR THAT'S NOT HAPPENED.
IN 2015, AN AUDIT IDENTIFIED
NEARLY 3500 UNTESTED KITS.
THEY ARE NOT ALL BEING CHECKED.
THE LEGISLATURE NEVER MANDATED
OR FUNDED TESTING.
THE BCA TELLS US OUR LAST COUNT
THEY'VE ONLY RECEIVED 467 KITS
TO DNA TESTS.
>> SERIAL ASSAULTS ARE LEFT IN
THE SOCIETY TO ASSAULT AGAIN.
>> SHE POINTS TO OTHER CITIES
AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE
TESTED BACKLOG OF KITS AND
FOUND SUSPECTED SERIAL
PREDATORS.
PREDATORS. OHIO FOUND 300 DETROIT 800.
BACK IN DULUTH THREE YEARS
AFTER THE ASSAULT AT PARK POINT
ANOTHER WOMAN TOLD POLICE SHE'D
BEEN IN SUPERIOR WISCONSIN AT A
BAR WERE THREE MEN CAME UP AND
BOUGHT HER DRINKS.
THE NEXT THING SHE REMEMBERED
WAS BEING IN A DULUTH BASEMENT
ASSAULTED AS A MALE WHO IS
DOING IT TOLD HER SHE WOULD NOT
BE ABLE TO PROVE IT.
POLICE SAY DNA TESTS HAVE
LINKED JESSE LEE, TO THAT AND
THE SECOND OF THE THREE HE IS
NOW CHARGED WITH.
CASES LIKE THIS HAVE CHANGED HOW
THEY INVESTIGATE SEXUAL ASSAULT
IF THE VICTIM CONSENTS ALL KIDS
GET TESTED.
GET TESTED. >> MINNESOTA HAS RECEIVED
FEDERAL GRANTS TO TEST FOR
UNCHECKED KIDS BUT SO FAR ANOKA
COUNTY IS THE ONLY OTHER AGENCY
TO EVEN BEGIN SUBMITTING KITS
TO BE TESTED.
FOR MORE IN DEPTH COVERAGE GO
TO WWW.KARE11.COM .
>> Reporter: IT'S INCREDIBLE
THIS ISN'T BEING DONE.
IS THERE ENOUGH MONEY TO TEST
THE KITS?
THE KITS?
THE KITS? >> THERE IS FEDERAL FUNDING AND
GRANTS STARTING TO COME IN.
BCA TOLD US YESTERDAY THEY'RE
NOT SURE IF THE GRANTS ARE
GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO COVER ALL
UNTESTED KITS.
UNTESTED KITS. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
>>> VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
WHO NEED HELP AND HAD