GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The family of Mildred Martin, who they call Mickey, is still waiting for justice a year after she was stabbed to death in her own house. The Greensboro Police Department found the 72-year-old dead last October and still have no suspects for the crime.
On Tuesday afternoon, officers and family members went to Mickey's neighborhood and the location where her car was found looking for more information. They also passed out fliers with details about the crime and held signs with her picture.
The department does believe it has useful DNA from the scene, but it's stuck in a backlog at the state's crime lab in Raleigh.
"Just completely floored because we understand that there is strong forensic evidence and we have not received DNA up to this point, which is very disappointing because someone's out there and if we had the DNA the person could be captured by now," said Shirley Tate, Mickey's youngest sister.
Related story: Search For Answers: Justice Walk For Mickey
"It's frustrating," Lt. Jill Gladieux with GPD's Criminal Investigations Unit said. "There's a lot of work being out there and held up in cases because of the abundance and so it's something that we have to work with."
In the last fiscal year, the crime lab took in more than 26,000 DNA submissions, but completed less than half. The State Department of Justice said the backlog comes from a lack of staff. The state said it needs at least 55 DNA analysts, but at last check, it only had 24.
The Greensboro Police Department submitted evidence from Mickey's case in January and last month, it was approved for a "rush request." which will put her case at the top of the list. The State's Department of Justice has not gotten back to WFMY News 2 on how soon the DNA results will come back after getting the "rush request" approved.
Mickey's five sisters said they hope it's soon.
"Every day that you wake up it's like, well maybe something will happen today and I guess it's going to be this way until we get some justice," Tate said. "As time goes on it gets a little better, I will never get over it."
Lt. Gladieux said the police department will not stop searching for who committed this crime.
"This is something that won't stop," she said. "This is a case that stays with you because you realize that there's some bad people out there."
If you have any information about Mickey's death, GPD asks you to call Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000 or text "badboyz" to 274637. You can choose to remain anonymous.
Others stories 2 click on:
