Story highlights More than 3,000 kits remain untested in Kentucky, where it takes an average of eight months to analyze sexual assault evidence

Police in Fayetteville, North Carolina, say that more than 300 rape kits were destroyed

Untested or mishandled rape kits are a widely reported problem across the country

(CNN) Two more states are now in the spotlight for failing to handle examinations in alleged rape cases.

DNA from what are known as rape kits can be used to help identify suspects, strengthen criminal cases and exonerate those who are falsely accused.

More than 3,000 of those kits have never been tested in Kentucky. A state audit blamed a lack of adequate resources.

Kentucky is one of more than a dozen states and cities counting and testing rape kits, state auditor Adam Edelen said Monday.

"The result of this count is we now know that the number of untested sexual assault kits in Kentucky is 3,090. And it's important for a moment to get beyond just the number, and to understand that these really do represent the most fragile of human lives," he said.

Read More