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Detroit Man Convicted In 2008 Case Tied To Abandoned Rape Kits

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - A 56-year-old man has been convicted in a case involving one of more than 11,000 sexual assault kits left untested in a Detroit police warehouse.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette's office said Friday that Alan Donnell Broadnax, of Detroit, was convicted on a count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for the 2008 rape in Oakland County of an 18-year-old woman. Sentencing is scheduled for May 9.

Schuette said the case was the first his office received as a result of the Wayne County Sexual Assault Kit Task Force. The case was referred to the attorney general's office because the assault happened outside Wayne County.

"This conviction is long overdue and much deserved justice for the victim in this case," Schuette said in a statement. "I will continue to work with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, and county prosecutors across the state until we have held these criminals who believe they have gotten away with a crime accountable for their actions."

Broadnax is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9. Schuette has requested for Broadnax to be sentenced as a Habitual Offender under the Violent Offense-Fourth Felony law, which allows prosecutors to require a minimum 25-year sentence for certain repeat offenders who have committed four felonies while progressing to more violent crimes.

Case Background

Authorities say the victim in the case was knocked unconscious by Broadnax and sexually assaulted at a home in Southfield. After being forced to walk home, the woman immediately reported the rape to Hamtramck police. Since the woman could not remember the exact address of the house where the alleged assault took place, her sexual assault kit ended up in the Detroit Police storage facility where it languished until the kits were discovered in 2009.

Ongoing Efforts to Bring Justice for Victims, Strengthen Public Safety

In 2009, more than 11,000 untested sexual assault kits dating back more than 30 years were discovered in a Detroit Police Department property storage facility, each holding the potential to solve multiple crimes, including those committed by serial rapists. On September 2, 2015 Gov. Rick Snyder and Prosecutor Worthy announced that the testing of the shelved sexual assault kits had been completed.

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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