Identification of a John Wayne Gacy Victim
In an interview from ISHI 24, Dixie Peters describes how the identity of a John Wayne Gacy victim is revealed after more than 30 years. TRANSCRIPT: My name is Dixie Peters, and I’m the Technical Leader of the Missing Persons Unit at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, […]
How DNA Technologies Are Being Used to Combat Wildlife Crime
Poachers have been reaping financial rewards while depleting wildlife populations for years, and they’ve been notoriously hard to catch and prosecute. Thankfully, recent developments in DNA technology have begun to give investigators the tools they need to put these poachers behind bars. Written by: Tara Luther, Promega In 2013, the Convention on […]
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! Washington Bill Proposes DNA Collection from Dead Convicts, Indecent Exposers (Forensic Magazine – 3/10/2017) […]
Optimization of the Promega PowerSeq™ Auto/Y System for Efficient Integration within a Forensic DNA Laboratory
For the past 20 years, exploiting length-based differences in short tandem repeats (STRs) through capillary electrophoresis (CE) has been a primary method relied upon by forensic DNA testing laboratories. However, massively parallel sequencing (MPS) is emerging within the forensic community as a potential DNA typing technology. In contrast to CE, STR typing by MPS, yields […]
DNA Methylation 101
DNA Methylation is a phrase that has gained in popularity lately, but if you’re like me, maybe you’re wondering what DNA methylation is, and more importantly, how can it be used for forensic applications? If that sounds familiar, than this post is for you, because we’re going to tackle those very questions. Written by: […]
A Cold Case Review into the Mind of Serial Killer Joseph Naso
Dawn Romano of the Contra Costa County Crime Lab describes the case of serial killer Joseph Naso, and how he was brought to justice. TRANSCRIPT: My name is Dawn Romano. I’m the Forensic Supervisor and Technical Leader at the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Crime Lab. In 2010, Joseph […]
Bones: Improved Technology is Bringing Loved Ones Home
Shakespeare said, “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.” This is continually true in the case of unidentified remains throughout the United States. The action of a person going missing or the events leading to an individual’s demise are frequently the memory that haunts a town […]
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! A New Approach to Amplifying DNA (Phys Org – 3/31/2017) Analyzing DNA is useful […]
What Role Does Media Play in Criminal Trials?
Generally, trials in the United States are open to the public. In the past, this meant that if you wanted to view the trial, you would need to physically attend. Now, television and internet broadcasts (and especially social media) have made trials much more accessible to a much greater audience. Written by: Tara Luther, […]
