Apr 19 2024

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!

DNA Labs International Utilized M-Vac® Technology to Link Two Decades-Old Cold Cases with Fairfax County Police Dept. (EIN Presswire – 4/12/2024)

- DNA Labs International, a leading privately owned accredited forensic DNA Laboratory, has played a crucial role in connecting two long-standing cold cases in partnership with the Fairfax County Police Department. After decades of uncertainty, DLI used advanced DNA technology to help provide answers to law enforcement, victims, and their families.
  The Case of Jacqueline Lard: On November 15, 1986, Jacqueline Lard, a 32-year-old real estate agent from Stafford County, vanished under mysterious circumstances. Following a brutal struggle at her office, her body was discovered by two juveniles under a carpet in a wooded area.
  The Case of Amy Baker: In March 1989, 18-year-old Amy Baker disappeared while visiting family in Falls Church, Virginia. Her unoccupied vehicle was found, and a subsequent search by her family led to the discovery of her body in a nearby wooded area.
  In 2020, detectives from the Fairfax County Police Department’s cold case team collaborated with DNA Labs International to submit evidence from Baker’s case for analysis. The breakthrough came through the use of the M-Vac^® System on clothing items related to the case, enabling the collection of sufficient DNA evidence for a profile to be uploaded to the Virginia database. This significant achievement led to linking evidence from the Baker murder to that of the murder of Jaqueline Lard.

O.J. Simpson Trial Helped Revolutionize Forensic Science, Including in Florida (FOX13 – 4/12/2024)

- After the O.J. Simpson trial, Kevin Lothridge says his life, and his career field, changed forever.
  “The O.J. trial brought to light there was a profession called forensic science,” he said. “It was the first time that forensic science was brought to the forefront in a public televised trial.”
  Lothridge is the Deputy Executive Director at FIU’s Global Forensic and Justice Center in Largo. He said the National Forensic Science Technology Center, later known as the Global Forensic and Justice Center, was founded in response to how DNA was handled in the O.J. Simpson case.

Convictions Upheld in LA’s First Genealogy Database-Solved Cold Cases (Patch – 4/12/2024)

- A state appeals court panel Friday upheld a former Marine’s conviction for murdering two women in the 1980s, including one in Burbank.
  In a 24-page ruling, a three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal found there was “overwhelming” evidence of Horace Van Vaultz’s guilt.
  Vaultz, now 68, was convicted in August 2022 of first-degree murder for the July 16, 1981, strangulation of Selena Keough — a 21-year-old mother who was killed in San Bernardino County and dumped under bushes in Montclair — and the June 9, 1986, asphyxiation of Mary Duggan, a 22-year-old Reseda resident whose body was found in the trunk of her car in an empty parking lot in Burbank.
  Jurors also found true the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, murder during a rape involving both women and murder during sodomy involving Keough.
  Vaultz had been acquitted decades earlier of the December 1986 killing of 25-year-old Janna Rowe in Ventura County, with DNA evidence showing in 2019 that DNA found in sperm from Rowe’s body matched his DNA.

Dubai Police Use Cutting-Edge DNA Tests to Track Down Criminals (The National News – 4/13/2024)

- Dubai Police have embraced cutting-edge forensics to solve cold cases, bring closure to families and ensure criminals have nowhere to hide from justice.
  Rapid developments in how scientists test DNA at crime scenes are playing an increasingly crucial role in solving crime.
  From collecting DNA in air particles from air conditioning units, to the latest Y-chromosome testing kit to eliminate suspects from inquiries, methods at the disposal of criminologists are changing almost weekly.
  At the Training and Development Department at Dubai Police, scientists are putting years of research into practice, placing new tools into the hands of officers to solve cold cases that go back years and bringing peace to families of loved ones lost in the distant past.

Calgary Police Service & Alberta Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Team with Othram to Identify a 2022 John Doe (DNASolves – 4/15/2024)

- In June 2022, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered submerged in the Bow River, Calgary’s major waterway which flows through the city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The Calgary Police Service was called to the scene and determined the remains were that of a male. At the time, the local fire department was called in to retrieve the remains from the water. Police exhausted all traditional methods of attempting to identify the man, but their investigation failed to yield any information about his identity.
  In the fall of 2023, the Calgary Police Service, in cooperation with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Alberta, submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas in hopes that advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy could help to identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive genealogical profile for the unknown man.
  After successfully completing the process, the profile was delivered to Calgary Police Service who worked with Convergence Investigative Genetic Genealogy to develop new leads in the case. Together they successfully identified the man in December 2023. The use of this technology finally allowed investigators to provide answers to the man’s family and loved ones. Investigators determined that the man’s manner of death was not criminal in nature and no further details regarding the decedent will be released.

Othram Announces the Appointment of Paul Holes as Forensic Investigator (PRWeb – 4/15/2024)

Othram, the leading forensic sequencing laboratory for law enforcement, is excited to announce that Paul Holes has joined the team as a Forensic Investigator. With over 27 years of experience as a forensic scientist and cold case investigator, and a notable post-retirement career advocating for forensic genetic genealogy, Mr. Holes has been instrumental in training law enforcement and enhancing investigations with advanced forensic DNA techniques. In his new role at Othram, he will focus on leveraging this expertise to assist law enforcement agencies across the nation in resolving active and longstanding cold cases.
Paul Holes brings a wealth of experience as a forensic scientist and cold case investigator for the Contra Costa County Sheriff and District Attorney’s offices, where he also served as an FBI Task Force Officer. He is renowned for his pivotal role in the identification and arrest of the Golden State Killer, Joseph DeAngelo, through forensic genetic genealogy techniques.

Identified: Body of Immigrant Found Dead in 1986 (Forensic – 4/15/2024)

- On Aug. 3, 1986, the body of deceased adult female was discovered down an embankment along SR 67 south of Poway Road. Sheriff’s homicide detectives responded to the scene and began their investigation. They discovered the victim had sustained traumatic injuries to her body that were consistent with foul play. The Medical Examiner later ruled the manner of death as Homicide. With few leads, the investigation went cold, and the victim was never identified. The case was periodically reviewed by Homicide Cold Case detectives through the years; however, no additional leads were uncovered.
  In February 2022, Sheriff’s Homicide Cold Case detectives and analysts, using the victim’s DNA profile, applied Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) in an attempt to identify the victim. In February 2024, they were successful, identifying the victim as Maria Pilar Del Gadillo Carrillo. She was 43 years old at the time of her death.
  Carrillo immigrated to the U.S. from Yahaulica, Jalisco, Mexico in early 1986. Carrillo’s family has been notified and the investigation is ongoing. Detectives are working to establish her movements in San Diego prior to her murder. Anyone that may have known Carrillo is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Unit. The Sheriff’s Homicide unit continues to review this case and it remains under active investigation.

Determining the Age-At-Death of Infants, Children, and Teens (NIJ – 4/16/2024)

Despite decades of research, determining the age-at-death of skeletal remains of individuals ranging from birth to about 20 years old (referred to in forensics as subadults) has proven daunting for forensic investigators. A team of researchers led by anthropologists Nicholas Herrmann, Texas State University, and Joseph Hefner, Michigan State University, has developed a statistical framework that enables more precise age estimations.
Herrmann’s project, supported by National Institute of Justice (NIJ) grant 2018-DU-BX-0182, created a large reference sample of developmental dental data from diverse international populations. It also addressed common issues encountered in forensic casework, such as missing teeth, that can both inform and restrict the ability of accurately estimating a decedent’s dental age.
The project examines dental development within a transitional analysis framework that allows for statistical rigor in analyzing dental radiographs of individuals from the United States, Europe, and Africa. The researchers’ primary goal is to update existing dental modeling with a reference database that uses a representative sample from modern populations “to aid in forensic identification of subadult human remains.” The project examined the “age-at-transition” values of development for three baby and 10 permanent teeth in subadults. By focusing on specific teeth, the researchers created “the most appropriate numerical parameters from which to most accurately estimate age.”
The researchers had collected almost 12,000 radiographs when they submitted their final report to NIJ in May 2023 and anticipate having more than 13,500 images when they complete the project. The data represent subadults from various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, including African American, European American, American Hispanic, British, and South African.
The resulting database is the basis for the Transition Analysis Dental Age (TADA) estimation tool, a publicly available online tool for estimating age using dental development codes. The NIJ-funded TADA website provides “forensic practitioners with an accurate age estimation method based on a large, demographically diverse, modern subadult sample that captures the variation in dental development.”

‘Woodland Rapist’ Victim Says Genealogy Website Led Police to Alleged Attacker (CBC – 4/16/2024)

He says he was only 10 when he led skeptical investigators to the location of semen left in a Toronto-area park after he was forced to perform sex acts on a stranger.
Thirty years later, the victim says police told him DNA proved crucial in the recent arrest of an alleged serial predator. It’s a key detail that authorities have not shared publicly, decades after a series of attacks set off a sprawling manhunt.

St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1985 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 4/16/2024)

In April 1985, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in St. Johns County, Florida. Deputies with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene in Crescent Beach and located human remains buried in a shallow grave. Evidence collected at the burial site suggested that the remains had been buried for several years. It was determined that the remains were that of a white female between the ages of 30 and 50 years at the time of her death. The circumstances surrounding the discovery suggested that the woman’s manner of death was homicide.
In 2023, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office submitted evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and utilized Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the homicide victim. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile in a genealogical search to produce investigative leads in the case.
Equipped with these new leads, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office investigators launched a follow-up investigation. This investigation led to possible relatives of the woman. Reference samples were collected and compared to the unknown woman’s DNA profile. This investigation and reference DNA test led to the identification of the woman as Mary Alice Pultz of Maryland.

Mississippi Office of the State Medical Examiner & Jackson Police Department Team with Othram to Identify a 2023 John Doe (DNASolves – 4/16/2024)

In March 2023, human cranial remains were found near a car wash on Terry Road in Jackson, Mississippi. After a thorough search of the area revealed no further remains, the case was handed over to the Mississippi Office of the State Medical Examiner in Pearl, Mississippi, and recorded under the identifier ME23- 0229. In October 2023, the case was transferred to Anthropology for the development of a biological profile and positive identification. The skull, which was fully skeletonized and in poor condition was analyzed, suggesting the remains were likely those of an adult male. Details of the case were entered into the National Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP112359.
In 2023, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner, working with Jackson Police Department and Hinds County Deputy Coroner Jeramiah Howard, submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Funding to support this case was provided by Mississippi native and philanthropist Carla Davis, who is committed to resolving the backlog of cold cases in Mississippi. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence, and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive genealogical profile for the unknown man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct extensive genetic genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
A follow-up investigation led law enforcement to potential relatives of the unknown man. DNA reference testing was performed, confirming the identity of the man as Elton Orlando Jackson, born on May 25, 1958. Mr. Jackson disappeared in 2016 after telling his girlfriend he would walk to a nearby store. His phone was returned by an unidentified individual after his disappearance, and he was officially reported missing on January 3, 2017.

High School Student Assists in ID of Military Man in 1951 Accident (Forensic – 4/17/2024)

U.S. Marine Corps Captain Everett Leland Yager died in a military training exercise in July 1951. All of his remains were recovered in the Riverside County, California area and buried in Palmyra, Missouri—or at least thought to have been.
Fast forward years later to a child who wanted to build a rock collection. He began collecting during a scavenging exploration, presumably in Arizona. But the child did not find just rocks—he also found a human jaw bone. For the time being, the bone belonged to “Rock Collection John Doe.”
That was until January 2023 when the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) and Yavapai County Medical Examiner (Arizona) referred the case to the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center in New Jersey.
In May, the North Texas Center for Human Identification sent the extract from Rock Collection John Doe to Intermountain Forensics, where whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics were performed. A profile was developed and uploaded to GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA.
In July, students in the Ramapo College IGG Bootcamp worked on the case. It took them, along with IGG Center intern Ethan Schwartz, less than 2 days to produce a candidate lead, which was then handed over to YCSO. The following month, a DNA sample was taken from the daughter of Yager to directly compare to the jaw bone profile.
In March 2024 that the DNA sample from Yager’s daughter confirmed a parent/child relationship, resolving the case and confirming that Rock Collection John Doe was indeed Capt. Everett Leland Yager.
No one is quite sure how the jaw bone ended up in Arizona since the accident took place in the air over California. One theory is that a scavenger, such as a bird, picked it up and eventually deposited it during its travels over Arizona. Plans are being made to reunite the remains with the family.

DNA Doe Project Names 1985 Jane Doe Hours after DNA Analysis (Forensic – 4/17/2024)

After more than 39 years, the long-standing mystery surrounding the identity of Smith County Jane Doe 1985 has been resolved. The Texas Department of Public Safety, in collaboration with local law enforcement, forensic experts, and the DNA Doe Project, has successfully identified the former Jane Doe as Sindy Gina Crow.
In October 1985, a highway mowing crew made the grim discovery of human skeletal remains in a brush-covered gully on the south side of I-20 in Smith County, Texas. Without any identification, the case quickly went cold, and would remain so until 2021 when investigators with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department brought the case to the DNA Doe Project to try investigative genetic genealogy to learn her identity.
A forensic assessment conducted by investigators with the Crime Forensics Laboratory in Dallas concluded that the remains belonged to a White/Caucasian young woman, between 20-25 years old with reddish-brown hair tied in a ponytail. They estimated she was 5’5″-5’7″ tall and 110-125 lbs. Investigators felt her remains had been purposely concealed, and had been in the location where she was found for 12-15 months.
The DNA Doe Project, a national nonprofit organization, worked with specialty labs to produce a DNA profile that was uploaded to the databases at GEDmatch Pro and FTDNA – two consumer websites that allow law enforcement cases. Then, a team of 15 volunteer investigative genetic genealogists came together on a weekend in October 2023 to analyze the DNA matches to Jane Doe and build her family tree. In a matter of hours, they had found the branch of Sindy Crow, and were unable to find any proof of life for her after 1985.
Investigative genetic genealogy work is often stalled when the unknown person’s ancestry includes recent immigration, or they are a person of color. Access to records and underrepresentation of these populations in the databases make these cases especially difficult to research. With a father born in Italy and a Hispanic mother, this case should have been nearly impossible. One great match made the difference.

Danish Police Use Familial Searching for the First Time to Nab 1990 Murder Suspect (Forensic – 4/17/2024)

The Copenhagen Police (Denmark) have had a breakthrough in a 34-year-old murder case. They have arrested a 53-year-old man, charging him with the murder of Hanne With, who was found dead in her apartment in Nørrebro on New Year’s night 1990.
The breakthrough came with the help of familial searching. DNA material found on the victim’s trousers was compared with DNA profiles in the police database. Instead of searching for a direct match, they searched for close family members of the person who had left the DNA.
This method led the police to the 53-year-old man who is now charged with murder and in custody.
“This case demonstrates the potential of DNA familial searching as an effective investigative tool. As far as I know, this is the first time that Danish police have used familial searching in the DNA database to find possible perpetrators,” said Mikkel Meyer Andersen, a lecturer at the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Aalborg University. He researches mathematical and statistical assessments of DNA evidence and has previously served as an expert witness in court in other murder cases.