Ep 3. And Justice for Flint: Part 1 (Flint, MI)

And Justice for Flint: Part 1 (Flint, MI) is the third episode of Cold Justice: Sex Crimes season 1. The episode focuses on the tragic case of Flint, Michigan, where sexual assault victims are not getting justice due to a backlog of rape kits. The episode opens with the team of professionals led by former prosecutor Kelly Siegler and veteran sex crimes investigator Johnny Bonds; they are on the case to help Flint's rape victims get the justice they deserve.

The episode reveals that there are over 11,000 untested rape kits in Michigan alone, with around 800 of them belonging to Flint. The team meets with Flint's police department, who are struggling to get the funding needed to solve these cases. The team learns that the data suggests that there is a high frequency of serial rapes occurring in Flint, and that the rapists continue to go unpunished due to the backlog.

Kelly and Johnny begin their work on examining the first case and meet with a survivor, who was assaulted back in 2014. She tells the team that she submitted her rape kit, but no one followed up with her, and she was never notified when the perpetrator was caught. The team explains that their job is to help survivors get the justice they deserve by finding the evidence to put their attackers behind bars.

To start the investigation, the team tracks down the detective who was assigned to the survivor's case. The detective is now working in a different department and gets emotional when discussing the backlog of cases that never got resolved. The team discovers that the evidence from the rape kit was never tested, which leads them to find the kit and send it off for testing.

Kelly and Johnny also interview the survivor's family members and friends, who give them a glimpse into her lifestyle before and after the assault. She was a hard-working individual who loved her family and had a strong relationship with her boyfriend, who was also a victim of sexual assault. They also uncover shocking details that suggest the perpetrator may have dating app profiles, where he targets vulnerable women.

As the episode ends, the team leaves Flint with a lot of work ahead of them. They have identified a long list of sexual assault cases that are in desperate need of attention. The team's goal is to help Flint get the funding they need to process the backlog of rape kits and bring justice for the survivors.

And Justice for Flint: Part 1 is a powerful episode that provides insight into the tragedy that is the backlog of rape kits in Flint, Michigan. The team's work has just begun, and viewers can expect the second part to be equally heartfelt and dramatic. The show demonstrates how important it is to address the backlog of rape kits and how the responsible authorities need to deliver justice to survivors to make sure they can move forward with their lives.