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!
Hundreds May Finally Find Answers with Tarrant County’s New Cold Case Task Force (NBCDFW – 2/07/2026)
A new type of DNA testing at the time, called Forensic Genetic Genealogy, or FGG, had unlocked Walker’s case.
Now, the agency is harnessing that technology to help even more families by launching a new Cold Case Task Force.
“Help local law enforcement better access those cases, test those cases, and potentially hopefully solve some of those cases,” D’Avignon said.
She said right now, 10 investigators from the DA’s office are partnering with local law enforcement to comb through cold case files.
Eppendorf Collaborates with Dubai Police to Automate Forensics Laboratories (Select Science – 2/09/2026)
Eppendorf, a leading international life science company that develops, manufactures, and distributes instruments, consumables, and services for use in laboratories around the world, has announced a collaboration with Dubai Police to advance the scientific capabilities of the city’s justice system. Under the agreement, Dubai Police will integrate Eppendorf’s automated laboratory platforms into forensics workflows, supporting faster crime detection and the delivery of conclusive evidence to judicial authorities.
Eppendorf will provide Dubai Police with automated liquid handling platforms, including the Eppendorf epMotion® 5075t and 5073t NGS Solutions. In addition, Eppendorf will provide specialised training programmes to ensure seamless implementation and integration with existing instrumentation. This collaboration aims to support high-precision forensic analysis based on data processing, while ensuring smooth and sustainable workflows. The implementation of automated systems will reduce requirements for human intervention, and will accelerate processing times, analytical capacity and accuracy, facilitating more efficient criminal identification, optimising Dubai’s judicial processes.
Genealogy IDs Suspect in 1998 Cold Case, Victim in 2018 Case (Forensic – 2/09/2026)
Last week, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) identified the suspect involved in a 1998 murder, as well as the remains of a woman found on the side of the road in 2018.
On May 22, 1988, Carolyn Fisher’s body was found alongside I-40 East. She was found to have been sexually assaulted prior to her death. DNA evidence collected from the scene was determined to be from the same male suspect, but no matches were reported for more than 20 years.
In 2020, MNPD Cold Case Unit Detective Curtis Hafley submitted the DNA to ancestry research databases, and a private genealogy research company discovered a potential match in 2023.
Mixture Matters: Practical Strategies for Interpreting Complex DNA Mixtures (Forensic – 2/2/2026)
DNA mixture interpretation remains one of the most challenging aspects of forensic DNA analysis. Analysts routinely encounter uncertainty in the number of contributors, imbalanced contributor ratios, stochastic effects, artifacts, inhibition, and degradation. These factors complicate interpretation and challenge binary, threshold-based decision-making approaches when the underlying data are inherently continuous and probabilistic.
Team Identifies 1978 Homicide Victim (Forensic – 2/11/2026)
On Jan. 18, 1978, construction workers discovered partially buried skeletal remains in a wooded area in unincorporated Boca Raton, Florida. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office along with the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner responded and collected the unidentified remains. The manner of death was ruled a homicide. Anthropologists examined the remains and determined that the remains were those of a white female. She was estimated to be between 17-29 years of age. Through the years, efforts to identify her met with negative results.
In July 2024, Othram began efforts to assist in identifying the female. In August 2025, Othram provided PBSO Cold Case detectives with investigative leads derived from genealogical research. In September 2025, Cold Case detectives traveled domestically to investigate the leads provided by Othram and to collect reference samples from relatives of the decedent.
On Dec. 2, 2025, the decedent was identified via forensic investigative genetic genealogy as Patricia Ann Ritchie, date of birth 12/3/53, of Harrisonburg, Virginia. The identification was a direct result of the collaboration between Othram, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit, and the Palm Beach County Office of the Medical Examiner.
It is believed Patricia Ann Ritchie was last seen in 1977 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It is unknown at this time exactly when and with whom Ritchie travelled to Florida before her death.
Ongoing Pet Study Examines DNA Transfer Dynamics in Mock Dog Napping (Forensic – 2/11/2026)
New research confirms the potential for police forensic investigators to carefully consider the presence of pets at crime scenes as a credible new avenue for finding and investigating DNA leads to solve the case.
Long-running research by Flinders University and Victoria Police experts demonstrate how dogs and cats can be tested for indirect DNA transfer at crime scenes from people other than householders or pet owners.
Heidi Monkman, PhD student from Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering, with Roland van Oorschot from the Victoria Police Forensic Services Department and Luke Volgin from the Forensic Science South Australia, are breaking new ground with their research on animal-mediated human DNA transfer.
Their recent studies reveal that household pets may play a surprising role in solving crimes.
Genealogy Identifies Exhumed Remains Recovered in 1985 (Forensic – 2/11/2026)
The Kirkland Police Department has formally identified a man whose body was discovered in Kirkland four decades ago. Through advances in forensic science and the use of genetic genealogy, the individual previously known as John Doe has been identified as William D. Horn, who was 35 years old at the time of his death.
On Dec. 8, 1985, the body of an unidentified man was discovered in a sheltered area surrounded by blackberry bushes in the 10100 block of Points Drive NE in Kirkland. He was wrapped in blankets and layers of plastic.
At the time, the King County Medical Examiner determined that the man was inadequately clothed for the severe winter conditions, which included snow and unusually cold temperatures. His death was attributed to hypothermia and classified as probably accidental. No identification was found on his person or among his belongings.
For decades, detectives pursued numerous leads and tips, but the man’s identity remained a mystery. The case saw a significant breakthrough in 2019, when the man’s remains were exhumed with the assistance of Kathy Taylor, forensic anthropologist for King County and the State of Washington. The exhumation enabled investigators to obtain a DNA profile from a femur bone. The profile was uploaded to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), but no immediate matches were found.
In August 2025, investigators turned to genetic genealogy as a new investigative tool. The analysis identified potential family members and led detectives to a man named Gregory, believed to be the decedent’s brother. Kirkland Police obtained a DNA sample from Gregory, which was processed by the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab and sent to the University of North Texas for formal comparison.
On Dec. 22, 2025, DNA analysis confirmed the familial match. After 40 years, the King County Medical Examiner and Kirkland Police Department have positively identified the man as William D. Horn.
Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner Teams with Othram to Identify a 1992 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 2/11/2026)
In August 1992, the remains of an unidentified individual were found by Pittsburgh River Rescue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh Police Department and the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner responded and began investigating. The remains were determined to be a White man who stood approximately 5′ 11″ and weighed 175 pounds. The investigation revealed that two men had an altercation near the river. One of the men suffered blunt trauma to the head, falling into the river where he drowned. Police arrested Arthur Wylie, who was later convicted of murder for killing the man. However, the victim went unidentified.
Despite a lengthy investigation, the victim could not be identified and became known as Pittsburgh John Doe (1992). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP17266.
In 2024, the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas where it was determined that advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a forensic search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Allan Barry Keener, born February 5, 1940. Keener, who was transient and originally from Kentucky, was 52 when he was killed.
Public DNA Databases Lead to Arrest Over Historical NSW Sexual Assault Cases (ABC.net – 2/11/2026)
Advanced DNA technology has led to the arrest of a 77-year-old man over alleged sexual assaults in Dubbo, Wollongong and Sydney dating back to the 1990s, police have said.
Forensic investigative genetic genealogy compares crime-scene DNA with public databases.