Dozens of Murderers, Rapists Released by Detroit Warrant Backlog

Among the pending and as yet unsigned warrants are 21 for murder, including one going back to 2010. There are 105 for sexual assaults, 126 for child abuse and 25 from the Detroit Police Fatal Squad. In most cases, police were forced to release the suspects, since state and federal law says they can't be held beyond 72 hours without being arraigned.

Dozens of suspected murderers, rapists and other criminals who were arrested by Detroit Police over the past four years have been released because of a backlog of unsigned warrants at the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, The Detroit News has found.

Among the pending and as yet unsigned warrants are 21 for murder, including one going back to 2010. There are 105 for sexual assaults, 126 for child abuse and 25 from the Detroit Police Fatal Squad. In most cases, police were forced to release the suspects, since state and federal law says they can't be held beyond 72 hours without being arraigned.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy insists many of the releases are a result of too few employees in her office.

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