Lab Denies Backlog Problem

GBI has NO idea what pros­e­cu­tors are talk­ing about. They say they have pri­or­i­tized evi­dence in the Guy Heinze Jr. case, and have ana­lyzed every­thing sub­mit­ted. They are also tired of delays being blamed on the crime lab.

So what is the REAL rea­son the pros­e­cu­tion is refus­ing to turn evi­dence over to the defense?

Don’t blame us. It’s not our fault.

That’s what Georgia Bureau of Investigation offi­cials said one day after Glynn County pros­e­cu­tors told a judge that a state crime lab back­log is ham­per­ing the analy­sis of evi­dence in the slay­ings of eight peo­ple at a Brunswick mobile home park last year.

“Every piece of evi­dence they’ve sub­mit­ted on this case has been processed and com­pleted … We pri­or­i­tized it,” GBI spokesman John Bankhead told the Times-Union on Friday.

“If they sub­mit­ted some­thing and it’s not been processed, we’re not aware of it,” said Bankhead, not­ing they expe­dited the analy­sis of the evi­dence at the request of Glynn County Chief Matt Doering.

Bankhead said it’s “not cor­rect” to blame the crime lab, which has a min­i­mal back­log despite the clo­sure of two regional labs because of state cuts to the GBI budget.

“I’m tired of local agen­cies blam­ing delays on the crime lab,” Bankhead said.

Acting District Attorney David Perry said Friday he appar­ently had been mis­in­formed when he told Chief Superior Court Judge Amanda Williams dur­ing a hear­ing Thursday that the case has been slowed by the back­log at the crime lab and sheer vol­ume of the evi­dence need­ing to be analyzed.

Read the rest on Jacksonville.com.