20-year-old rape kit leads to new charges in west side assault

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After years collecting dust thousands of rape kits are finally being tested in Wayne County.

Now one of those kits that's more than two decades old is leading to new charges.

In court Wednesday afternoon, Javon Norfleet stood before a judge on rape charges from 1995.

"This is one of those rape kits that have been sitting around and they finally analyzed it," the judge said in court Wednesday.

"Yes, that's correct your honor," said the prosecutor.

Prosecutors told the judge they have strong evidence.

"The sample was taken from the defendant in this case," she said. "There was as sperm fraction found in the kit and it was a match."

Prosecutors say shoved his victim into an alley along Dexter and Clements which is on Detroit's west side. The rape allegedly happened back in 1995. The victim's rape kit was recently tested, and last week, Norfleet was arrested."

Peg Tallet of the Michigan Women's Foundation said the organization has raised $1.5 million to have more rape kits tested.

More than 10,000 of the 11,341 kits from the backlog in the Detroit area have been tested. So far there have been 50 convictions, but getting justice for all the victims will take more time.

"In the Detroit area, there are 1,250 cases that are ready to be investigated, and there will probably be 4,000 additions over time," Tallet said.

She said a huge number of the rape kits in the backlog could be up to 30 years old.