Debbie Shaw – Texas

Debbie Shaw was raped in 1986 when a stranger broke into her home. She survived this violent attack only to be told later that the evidence kit collected after her rape had been lost. For years Debbie contemplated suicide as she struggled to come to terms with the crime committed against her. Then, in 2003 while working as a police department victim’s advocate, Debbie began to look into her case. Her “lost” rape kit was eventually located on a shelf, and was sent for DNA analysis. A match was made to a man in prison for burglary. Debbie’s experience has brought a commitment to helping other rape survivors and in seeing DNA used to its full potential to identify and convict violent criminals.