Travis County prosecutors will begin notifying thousands of people convicted of crimes that forensic evidence in their cases may be flawed because of faulty testing at the Austin police crime lab.
The Austin American-Statesman reports the county will notify about 2,200 people convicted of crimes, including people in prison for murder and rape. Inmates serving prison terms may be entitled to an appeal.
The first batch of letters will be sent to 642 people whose information has been verified by prosecutors and investigators. Officials say they're working to locate the other remaining defendants.
Recipients of the notices include people who are in prison, have already served prison terms or are on probation.
The crime lab was closed in June amid revelations that staff members weren't using commonly accepted practices for analyzing DNA evidence.