State and university officials unveiled plans for a major expansion of forensic services: a new Troop E crime laboratory, which will be built on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, joined by Colonel Mike Turner, thanked Southeast Missouri State University for donating the land and praised Governor Mike Kehoe and members of the General Assembly for providing funding and support.
Representative John Voss said the facility will increase capacity, add modern equipment, and reduce evidence backlogs, speeding analyses in DNA, ballistics, toxicology, controlled-substances testing, and trace-evidence work for more than a dozen counties across the region.
“Rapid, dependable forensic support is essential to investigate thoroughly, arrest decisively, and prosecute effectively,” Voss said. “Justice becomes more timely, more accurate, and more trusted, restoring confidence in our system and reinforcing law and order as a bedrock of our communities.”
University President Dr. Brad Hodson and lawmakers said the lab will also benefit students and faculty through hands-on collaborations and workforce training with Highway Patrol crime-lab staff.
“Faculty in our criminal justice, anthropology, and forensics programs will have an opportunity to collaborate with our partners in the Highway Patrol and gain real-world experience that will serve them in the classroom and as they enter the job market,” Hodson said.
Speakers framed the project as a continuation of a 50‑year partnership between the university and the state and described it as a long-term investment in public safety and the justice system.
Officials thanked crime-lab employees, local leaders, and community members, and said the new laboratory will strengthen investigations, deliver swifter results for victims and families, and enhance safety across Southeast Missouri.
