Hudson County Prosecutor Now Has Its Own DNA Testing Lab, In Secaucus

SECAUCUS, NJ — The Hudson County Prosecutor just opened a brand-new DNA-testing lab at its Meadowview campus in Secaucus.

The offices of the Hudson County Prosecutor are located at 595 County Avenue in Secaucus, the location of the Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital. The buildings are entirely separate.

The brand-new DNA lab is described as a state-of-the-art facility where highly trained forensic scientists will conduct DNA testing.

County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said the fact that DNA testing will now be able to be done in house, and not shipped to a state lab run by NJ State Police, will make investigations "significantly" faster, and will help her team of detectives be able to solve cases faster.

It could often take several months to get DNA results back from the state lab, delaying criminal investigations, said Suarez. She said she has been trying to open her own lab since 2019. The Hudson County DNA lab now has a targeted turnaround time not to exceed 14 business days.

The facility is equipped to forensically examine evidence collected in major cases —including sex assaults, homicides, nonfatal shootings and aggravated assaults — and will serve as the primary DNA laboratory for all law enforcement agencies in Hudson County.

Hudson County joins Union County as the only two Prosecutor’s offices in the state to have their own, in-house DNA Laboratory.

The lab will be overseen by DNA Laboratory Director Jonathan Kui and staffed by two senior DNA analysts, Kaylee Klose and Meredith Napor. The DNA Laboratory expects it will investigate the findings from approximately 500 criminal cases a year in Hudson County.

"We are excited to be part of this important milestone and eager to serve the residents of Hudson County," said lab director Kui.

“When the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office relocated its investigative staff from Duncan Avenue in Jersey City to the Meadowview Campus in Secaucus, our office made it a priority to explore new opportunities that would allow us to better serve the residents of Hudson County,” said Prosecutor Suarez on Monday of this week, Nov. 18. “DNA is one of the strongest pieces of investigatory evidence, and having the ability to process material in-house will help expedite our jobs in law enforcement and identify or exonerate suspects of crime."

"This laboratory is a tremendous accomplishment and will become a proven asset to our entire community."