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JULY & AUGUST
FEATURES
FUNDING UPDATE
US House of Reps Passes Bill to Reauthorize Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grants
NIJ Funded Study finds DNA better than fingerprints at catching burglars.
FAMILIAL MATCH SUCCESS
UK uses familial matching to ID a rapist
JOHN DOE SUCCESS
John Doe Warrant secures conviction in serial rape case
JOHN DOE MISDEMEANOR WARRANTS
John Doe Warrants issued in misdemeanor cases in Ohio town
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The summary for the July & August 2008 DNA Resource Report is listed below. Details on these and other forensic DNA news items can be found in the full report which is posted at www.dnaresource.com. |
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LAW ENFORCEMENT: Investigations and prosecutions aided by DNA evidence include:
DNA CASES OF NOTE:
Rapist identified from backpack and cap (Wisconsin).
DNA from sneakers solves a burglary (New York).
DNA from a pistol confirmed a felon in possession of a weapon charge (New York).
Discarded bottles solve a drive-by shooting in Florida, and a burglary in England.
DNA from discarded hats leads to car thieves who pointed a gun at a state trooper (Washington).
"Touch DNA" (from victim elbow) solves murder (Minnesota).
Armed robbyer is solved with DNA from plastic ties (Australia).
Hair band DNA identifies a serial rapist (Australia).
COLD HITS BRING:
● Alabama - Indictment for kidnap and rape.
● Arizona - Rape and murder suspectg.
● California - Identified burglars, and solved rape/murder cases from 1980 (match with Florida felon) and 1985. DNA also led to 4 life sentences for sexual attacks.
● Colorado - Charges in a murder (1997) and a sex assault. DNA solves multiple commercial burglary cases.
● Connecticut - Identification of bank robbery suspect (on database for weapons charge).
● Florida - Life sentence for murder (on Georgia database); identified a mother of an abandoned infant (on database for driving without a license), a murderer (on database for drug charge), and 2 rapists (1985 crime on database for burglary; on database for drug distribution).
● Illinois - Linked a man to sex assaults, and identified underwear thief.
● Kansas - DNA led to sentencing for 1996 rape of 9-year-old and solved teenage killing.
● Louisiana - DNA solved murder and confirmed child rape.
● Maryland - a 1980 rape suspetc and led to arrest in 1987 rape.
● Massachusetts - A cold hit exonerated man and implicated another in rape, led to guilty plea in 1980 murder (on database for breaking and entering). DNA solves jewel robbery.
● Michigan - Rape conviction (on database for assault).
● Minnesota - Identified murderer (on database for drunk driving).
● Missouri - Identified rapist (on database for rape).
● Nebraska - Solved 1999 murder.
● New Jersey - A conviction in 1996 stabbing death and identified robber.
● New York - Suspects in a 1981 murder and a 1986 murder (on database for parole violation)
● North Carolina - DNA solves sexual assault case (collected from cigarettes)
● Ohio - A murder conviction, suspects in a 1996 murder, 1982 murder, and 1990 rape; and connect one man to five separate rapes.
● Oklahoma - Solved a rape (on Arkansas database for burglary), lead to sentencing for rape case, and solved murder (on database for drug conviction).
● Pennsylvania - led to a life sentence for rape/murder, identified a rapist (on database for drug crime), identified 1978 murder suspect (on Virginia database).
● Texas - A cold hit solves burglary.
● Washington - DNA identifies man in child rape and solves liquor store theft. A cold hit identifies rapist (on California database for auto theft).
● Wisconsin - identified a stabbing suspect, 1990 murderer, mugging suspect (on database for burglar), and bank robberies suspect (on database for burglary). |
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POLICY AND FUNDING ISSUES:
Expansion - South Carolina Governor vetoed a bill to require DNA from all felony arrests bill.
Backlog - Backlogs made headlines in California (San Bernardino County crime lab), and backlogs are seeing decreases in Wisconsin and Maryland.
Funding - Dallas County, Texas received funding for post-conviction DNA testing; and California and Colorado have received funding for new crime labs. A new lab in South Carolina will be completed soon. |
LEGAL:
The California Supreme Court upholds calculations of random match probabilities on the DNA database (People v. Nelson) |
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OTHER FORENSIC DNA ISSUES:
● Statute of Limitations - Prosecutors in Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Massachusetts charge John Doe DNA samples with crimes. Texas inmate is exonerated but new suspect cannot be prosecuted because the statute of limitations has passed.
● Exonerations - An 18th Texas inmate is cleared through DNA testing. A Tennessee inmate is freed based on DNA testing. Colorado Greeley Police Department stores more DNA evidence to comply with new legislation.
● Task Forces - Mississippi created a task force to recommend statewide DNA processing standards. A Texas panel met to discuss lessons learned from recent exonerations from DNA testing.
● The Orange County Sheriff Department's crime lab recently became internationally accredited. |
INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Russia may start forming a DNA Databank. In West Australia, police are building a new lab and seek the authority to collect DNA at arrest, while the national DNA database has doubled in size. In the United Kingdom, there is a bid to remove non-convicted persons' DNA from the database. Uganda has a backlog of 400,000 cases (not necessarily DNA).
● Australia -DNA solves 1984 double murder, and leads to 24-year sentence in brutal attack.
● United Kingdom - DNA identified car thief and vandals. A cold hit identified 1981 rapist.
● Taiwan - DNA led to arrest of man who committed six sexual assaults.
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