DPS Reports Rapid DNA Hit in Montgomery County
A positive CODIS match from the state's Rapid DNA pilot program has produced an investigative lead in a 2024 felony case.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Criminal Justice
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The Texas Department of Public Safety announced a positive CODIS hit in Montgomery County from the Rapid DNA pilot program. The lead came from a DNA sample taken from a suspect booked into the Montgomery County Jail on felony theft charges, and it points to a 2024 case.
Why it matters
Rapid DNA testing aims to shorten the time between booking and CODIS results, which currently can take days by mail to the Austin lab and may arrive after an arrestee is released. Faster matches could help investigators in Montgomery and Williamson counties link arrestees to unsolved crimes.
The 2024 case remains under active investigation, and the Texas Department of Public Safety has not released further information about the suspect or charges tied to the match. The felony theft booking that produced the sample is separate from any charges in the 2024 case.
The players
Texas Department of Public Safety
The state agency responsible for the Crime Laboratory Division, which announced the CODIS hit and administers the Rapid DNA pilot program.
Montgomery County Sheriff's Office
The county law enforcement agency that recorded the investigative lead and participates in the Rapid DNA pilot program.
Williamson County Sheriff's Office
The county law enforcement agency selected as a pilot participant in the second phase of the Rapid DNA program.
The details
Rapid DNA technology is fully automated, requiring no human intervention once a sample is inserted, and resulting profiles are uploaded to CODIS to generate near-real-time searches against unsolved crimes. The second phase of the Rapid DNA Testing Program launched October 15 in Williamson and Montgomery counties, where participating agencies began entering arrestee samples into CODIS.
Timeline
September 1, 2025: First year of the pilot began with instrument installation and training.
October 15, 2026: Second phase launched and participating agencies began entering samples into CODIS.
October 23, 2026: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office recorded the investigative lead.
November 2, 2026: DPS announced the positive CODIS hit in Montgomery County.
January 1, 2028: DPS report to the Texas Legislature on pilot findings is due.
Legal Context
Senate Bill 1723 created a two-year Rapid DNA pilot at Texas booking facilities funded with just over $5 million, and House Bill 3956 requires felony arrestee DNA collection statewide. This investigative lead is an early result that will inform DPS's report to the Legislature on whether to fund or expand the program.
Residents of Montgomery and Williamson counties may see faster DNA-based investigative leads as arrestee samples are processed on-site rather than mailed to Austin. Because the program is a pilot, its expansion to other counties will depend on the findings reported to lawmakers.
The takeaway
Rapid DNA turns arrestee sampling from a multi-week mail process into a near-real-time search, and the pilot's results will determine whether Texas expands it statewide.
What happens next
DPS will begin gathering findings from the pilot program after August 2027 and must report to the Texas Legislature no later than January 1, 2028.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Criminal Justice in Texas.
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