Rapid DNA Identification: Conception Boat Fire
In the early morning hours of September 2, 2019, a fire started in Santa Barbara County, just off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, on the Conception Dive boat with 39 passengers and crew on board. Five crew members were rescued and the remaining crew member and passengers located below deck when the fire started […]
Identifying the Victims of the Conception Boat Fire
On Labor Day, 2019, The Conception caught fire on the last day of a 3-day diving trip off of the coast of California. Tragically, all 33 passengers and 1 crew member perished in the fire. In this interview, Kimberly Gin, Coroner at the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office shares how she and a Deputy Coroner […]
Advancements in Technology Are Warming Up Cold Cases
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in its guidelines National Best Practices for Implementing and Sustaining a Cold Case Investigation Unit, defines a cold case as a case, “…such as a violent crime, missing person, or unidentified person, that has remained unsolved for at least three years and has the potential to be solved through […]
Under the Microscope – Regina Wells
Laboratories across the country are dealing with backlogs of sexual assault kits waiting to be tested. Laws in many states have changed requiring all kits to be tested, increasing the caseload for laboratories as well as the turnaround time in which results are obtained. The ANDE 6C Rapid DNA System can analyze an evidence sample […]
New Advances in DNA Technology to Assist with Mass Casualty Disasters
Mandy Sozer of SNA International describes how DNA technology has changed over the past 30 years and how new advances are helping to bring closure to families of mass casualty victims. We also discuss the importance of educating the public about DNA for forensic use and why women seem to be drawn to the field […]
Ethical and Social Considerations for Implementation of Rapid DNA
Rapid DNA has been under development for over a decade, but now it is beginning to be implemented in law enforcement and, potentially, other contexts. The new technology is a boon to quick, efficient processing of DNA, but its broad use could pose some ethical questions. Traditional DNA analysis already comes with questions of privacy and scope of […]
An Evaluation of a New Rapid DNA Platform for Field Forward Applications
Between the years of 2005 and 2010, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) reserved $58 million to assist in the reduction of the arrestee and offender DNA backlog. Considering the limited resources available to forensic agencies, by relieving crime laboratories of the analysis of these reference samples this would allow for trained analysts to focus […]
The Evolution of Rapid DNA in the United States
Ever since FBI Director Comey told the United States Senate Judiciary Committee that Rapid DNA would “change the world in a very, very exciting way,” integration of the technology into the arrestee booking process has become a question of when rather than if, with momentum building daily. Submitted by: Kevin Babak, IntegenX […]
Rapid DNA Act of 2017: What is It?
On May 16, 2017, the U.S House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed the Rapid DNA Act of 2017 (H.R.510 and S.139, respectively). The bill was sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis) and enjoyed bipartisan support, ending up with seven Republican and five Democratic cosponsors in the Senate, and […]