AUSTIN, TX — The Texas Department of Public Safety announced Tuesday that its Rapid DNA Testing Pilot Program generated an investigative lead in a 2024 case just eight days after participating agencies began submitting DNA samples to a national database.
According to DPS, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office received a positive match through the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, on Oct. 23 after collecting a DNA sample from a suspect booked into the Montgomery County Jail on felony theft charges.
The DNA sample was linked to an investigation dating back to 2024. DPS said the investigation remains ongoing and no additional details are being released.
The discovery came shortly after the program entered its second phase Oct. 15, when sheriff's offices in Montgomery and Williamson counties began processing DNA samples from felony arrestees using Rapid DNA technology.
The technology allows law enforcement agencies to process DNA samples at booking facilities and search them against CODIS in near real time, potentially identifying connections to unsolved crimes.
The two-year pilot program was established under Senate Bill 1723 and received just over $5 million in funding from the Texas Legislature.
The program began Sept. 1, 2025, with its first year focused on installing equipment, integrating technology and training personnel.
Unlike traditional DNA testing, Rapid DNA technology uses automated equipment that requires no human intervention once a sample is inserted into the testing instrument. This allows trained booking facility personnel to process samples without extensive laboratory experience.
Under current procedures, Texas law enforcement agencies collect DNA samples from individuals arrested on felony charges and mail them to the state CODIS laboratory at DPS headquarters in Austin.
DPS said processing felony arrest and convicted offender samples takes an average of 25 days after the laboratory receives them. Mailing and delivery times can add several days to that process.
Rapid DNA technology is intended to reduce those delays by allowing participating agencies to generate DNA profiles and search CODIS while suspects may still be in custody.
Texas law requires booking facilities to collect DNA samples from all individuals arrested on felony charges under House Bill 3956.
DPS oversees CODIS operations in Texas and maintains the state's central DNA database, which assists federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in investigating unsolved crimes.
The Montgomery and Williamson county sheriff's offices were selected for the pilot program based on existing partnerships and the availability of nearby DPS crime laboratory personnel.
Following the pilot program's conclusion in August 2027, DPS will evaluate its findings and submit a report to the Texas Legislature by Jan. 1, 2028.
The report will help lawmakers determine whether to provide additional funding or expand Rapid DNA testing to other Texas booking facilities.
Additional information about the program is available on the Texas DPS website.
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