100 serial rapists identified after rape kits from Detroit Crime Lab are finally processed

"I was in shock. I was outraged and I just assumed kits were being tested," said actress Mariska Hargitay about the thousands of rape kits in Detroit and across the country that have been left sitting in storage without being processed, allowing rapists to remain free to attack again. And they often do.

Hargitay joined Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to announce legislation that will soon be introduced to state lawmakers that is aimed at setting guidelines and deadlines for rape kits tests to be processed.

"Testing rape kits is vital for keeping rapists off the street," said Hargitay during Monday's press conference.

Over 11,000 sexual assault kits, some dating back to the 1980's, were found abandoned in a Detroit Police storage facility back in 2009.

Not long after the rape kits were discovered, Worthy pushed to start the processing with Michigan State Police.

So far, 1,600 rape kits have been processed, resulting in the identification of about 100 serial rapists and ten convicted rapists, according to Worthy.

Worthy told reporters that perpetrators have moved on from Michigan to commit similar crimes in 23 other states.

"It was mind blowing to me," said Hargitay that so many rape kits have gone unprocessed. "My head exploded.. We have the means to do it and DNA equals justice."

Hargitay, best known for her role as Sergeant Olivia Benson on the television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, has also become an advocate for real life victims of sex crimes. She founded the Joyful Heart Foundation that works to "heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse."

Nationally, an estimated 400,000 rape kits have gone unprocessed, allowing rapists to remain free and their victims to wonder if they will ever see justice.

"These rape kits in Michigan are over 25 years old," said Worthy. "Want to make sure we deal with the victims mercifully, honestly and genuinely."

Fourteen prosecutions have resulted from what is being called the "Detroit Rape Kit Project", including the case of DeShawn Starks, 32.

On February 19, 2003, Starks pretended to be having stomach pains as he approached a woman who was returning to her home in Detroit, according to prosecutors. Starks pulled out a gun, robbed the woman, then drove her to a wooded area where he raped her. The woman's unprocessed rape kit remained in storage for ten years until Worthy's office launched their investigations into the abandoned rape kits. DNA linked Starks to that case.

Prosecutors says Starks went on to rape another woman in 2003. That rape kit was also placed in storage and left unprocessed for ten years.

On November 19, 2013, investigators say Starks struck again, raping two friends as they were walking home from a family gathering.

Starks was just sentenced to 45 to 90 years in prison.

Source: Channel 7 ABC, WXYZ Detroit.    Written by: Kim Craig

Women Armed with Emergency Whistles to Deter Detroit Rapist

PRESS RELEASE:  The Women On Guard™ website donated Mace Emergency Whistles to The Victim’s Assistance Program in Detroit, MI to help women who might be faced with a dangerous situation.

Pompano Beach, FL, January 28th 2011. Due to the frantic hunt by police for a Detroit rapist that has attacked eight women since January 1^st, 2011, WomenOnGuard.com donated Mace emergency or rape whistles to the Victim’s Assistance Program, a rape counseling center in Detroit MI. The website which normally donates pepper spray since 2007, is providing Mace Emergency Whistles due to certain restrictions on pepper spray in the state of Michigan.

All of the victims of this vicious rapist have been women who use public transportation, specifically buses. These rapes occurred when women were waiting at a bus stop, going toward a bus stop or coming from one. In one isolated case, the woman was in her car and the rapist bumped her car with his car. When she stepped out, he attacked her. The Detroit rapist is of dark complexion and described by the victims as being from 5 foot 8 inches to 9 inches tall. He has attacked black women between the ages of 17 and 33. The attacks have occurred between 7:40 p.m. and 6:15 a.m. There are conflicting statements on his appearance. Some women described him with acne scars or blemishes and others didn’t. Most of the women mentioned he had facial hair.

Meanwhile, Detroit Police have arrested 9 men on various offenses, received many tips and have forensic evidence that might help eliminate or confirm suspects. They have had news conferences in regards to this rapist and mentioned various locations in Detroit where the rapist has attacked. Police are also advising women that if attacked, to call 911 immediately and to keep in mind, not to shower, brush their teeth or clean any part of their body, including under their nails. This will preserve DNA evidence of the rapist.

WomenOnGuard.com co-owner Susan Eaton wanted to offer some safety tactics for women in Detroit. She mentioned, “Practice the buddy system, if possible, have another person with you while taking public transportation. Keep a self defense product in your hand and ready to use, instead of in your purse or pocket. Remember time is critical, the quicker you can act against an attacker the better your chances for getting away. Walk confidently, show any would be attacker that you are strong and should not be reckoned with. If you find that the rapist is stronger than you, scream and try to disgust him, by urinating or throwing up, tell him you are HIV positive, etc. These are extreme circumstances that call for extreme actions.”

WomenOnGuard.com sells non-lethal self defense products such as Mace, pepper spray, stun guns, personal alarms and Tasers. The website includes safety tips, hotlines and a Blog. Women On Guard™ also donates on a regular basis to a women’s crisis center or similar cause around the nation.

Detroit 12 year old boy shoots a woman to death

Demarco Harris, a juvenile, killed 24 year old Trisha Babcock on August 1st , during a robbery just after midnight in Detroit, Michigan. He shot her in the chest with a gun after a struggle. She had been sitting in her car and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Demarco Harris could face life in a Michigan prison for his felony. The prosecutor's office filed the case with an adult designation. In the state of Michigan, this means that a child is tried in juvenile court and after conviction, a judge has the option to sentence the juvenile as an adult or a juvenile or the decision can be postponed until the child reaches adulthood. Demarco Harris was charged with felony murder, armed robbery, having a firearm during a felony and violating curfew!

Times have really changed. What parent of a 12 year old, lets them out on the streets of Detroit pass midnight? Did the child's parents know he had a gun? Many parents accuse the schools or society in general if their children become criminals. But there is no excuse for parents to loose that special bond and communication with their child. It is up to the parent's, not the school, not the church or society, to raise children.

Detroit Man Kills People for Money

Vincent Smothers, 28, will be going to trial soon for being a hit man in Detroit. He confessed to police: "I don't have a profession", "I kill people for money." Detroit Police caught him in a suburban alley and heard his confession of several killings in Detroit. According to the authorities, it is very rare for someone to be charged with so many death crimes.

Smothers, the killer, informed police that the killings for him were easy and that he would shoot people while talking on his cell phone. He claimed that all but one of his victims were drug dealers. He provided police with very detailed accounts on the various shootings. The one crime victim he actually felt remorse about was Rose Cobb, a police officer's wife, who he felt was innocent. According to Smothers, her husband, David Cobb, who was having an affair at the time, hired him in December 2007 to murder his wife. That Detroit officer hung himself the following September. Smothers claimed he stopped his killings after that. He mentioned: "My stomach was in knots..." and that he couldn't kill people anymore after that.

"I knew at the time these crimes were committed they were wrong and that there would be a price to pay," he wrote. "After Cobb's wife, I could no longer have anything to do with murdering people."

"I can't bring them back," Smothers wrote, "but I hope this allows their families to know that someone is going to pay who was behind what happened to their loved ones."

His very lengthy confessions gave judges probable cause to put Vincent Smothers on trial. Trial date has not yet been announced.