BEEBE – Beebe Police now say it has one person of interest in the attack on two teenage girls walking home last month. However, the identity of that person is not being released because they have not been charged with a crime.
The mother of one of the victims tells FOX16 News she is waiting on the state crime lab to deliver justice for both girls.
A quiet town White County town shaken by a violent crime.
“Oh we want answers bad,” Lt. Brian Duke with Beebe Police Department says.
Two girls, ages 15 and 13 who police say were attacked by two men on North Fir Street in Beebe on April 19th. Detectives say one of the girls was raped.
“I was angry, heartbroken,” says the mother of one of the victims.
Since then patrols are on the increase but no arrests yet. Detectives have sent evidence to the Arkansas State Crime Lab and now must wait.
“Whatever the results come back from the crime lab, that’s going to determine the next phase of the case,” Duke says. Goins says: “Is there a sense it could break the case?” Duke says: “Correct.”
The mother of one of the victims, who FOX16 News concealed to protect her daughter’s identity, says waiting and remaining patient isn’t easy.
“The crime lab, I wish could hurry up but I do understand that they are very busy with a lot of other cases too,” she says.
Beebe Police detectives say the quickness of evidence coming back is simply a numbers game.
“You’ve got one crime lab that services x number of law enforcement agencies in this state so everybody has to take a turn,” Duke says.
But that turn in line is getting shorter.
Crime lab director Kermit Channell says the backlog used to be several months for sexual assault cases but is now down to just 30-60 days.
He cites the addition of five DNA analysts paid for through federal grant money since 2008, bringing the department total to 14, to helping ease the case backlog.
“Even when we get the results, it will still not be over,” the mother of one of the victims says.
But she says she will be a step closer to justice for her daughter and her friend.
And that mother believes the men who attacked her daughter and friend live in Beebe and that people have information. She’s pleading with them tonight to come forward to ease their pain.
The mother of one of the victims tells FOX16 News she is waiting on the state crime lab to deliver justice for both girls.
A quiet town White County town shaken by a violent crime.
“Oh we want answers bad,” Lt. Brian Duke with Beebe Police Department says.
Two girls, ages 15 and 13 who police say were attacked by two men on North Fir Street in Beebe on April 19th. Detectives say one of the girls was raped.
“I was angry, heartbroken,” says the mother of one of the victims.
Since then patrols are on the increase but no arrests yet. Detectives have sent evidence to the Arkansas State Crime Lab and now must wait.
“Whatever the results come back from the crime lab, that’s going to determine the next phase of the case,” Duke says. Goins says: “Is there a sense it could break the case?” Duke says: “Correct.”
The mother of one of the victims, who FOX16 News concealed to protect her daughter’s identity, says waiting and remaining patient isn’t easy.
“The crime lab, I wish could hurry up but I do understand that they are very busy with a lot of other cases too,” she says.
Beebe Police detectives say the quickness of evidence coming back is simply a numbers game.
“You’ve got one crime lab that services x number of law enforcement agencies in this state so everybody has to take a turn,” Duke says.
But that turn in line is getting shorter.
Crime lab director Kermit Channell says the backlog used to be several months for sexual assault cases but is now down to just 30-60 days.
He cites the addition of five DNA analysts paid for through federal grant money since 2008, bringing the department total to 14, to helping ease the case backlog.
“Even when we get the results, it will still not be over,” the mother of one of the victims says.
But she says she will be a step closer to justice for her daughter and her friend.
And that mother believes the men who attacked her daughter and friend live in Beebe and that people have information. She’s pleading with them tonight to come forward to ease their pain.
