The fourth batch of untested material gathered during sexual assault examinations was sent Thursday to a laboratory from the Columbia Police Department as the state continues working through a backlog of more than 6,800 kits, Attorney General Eric Schmitt said in a news release.

The 160 evidence kits included material gathered from the Boone County Sheriff's Department, the Columbia, Jefferson City, Kirksville, Sedalia, Ashland, Holts Summit and Fulton police departments and other agencies, the release stated.

Schmitt's office conducted an inventory of untested Sexual Assault Forensic Exam kits last year and found that more than 6,800 untested kits were stored at agencies around the state. The Columbia Police Department had 91, the Boone County Sheriff's Department had 89 and University of Missouri Health Care had 66.

The kits contain material that could provide DNA and other evidence that could identify an attacker.

The Columbia police acted as a host agency for the collection of kits for the latest round of testing.

"With the crucial inventory completed, my office’s focus is sending these untested kits to the lab to be tested," Schmitt said in the release. "With the fourth batch of kits already sent off, we’re making tangible progress in tackling this issue."

The SAFE Kits Initiative uses a private lab to ensure speed in results and to prevent the Missouri State Highway Patrol crime lab from being overwhelmed, the release stated.