Feb 23 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!

New Bill Would Let Defendants Inspect Algorithms Used Against Them in Court (The Verge – 2/15/2024)

- A pair of Democratic lawmakers are seeking to give defendants more information about algorithms used against them in a criminal trial.
  
  Reps. Mark Takano (D-CA) and Dwight Evans (D-PA) reintroduced theJustice in Forensic Algorithms Act on Thursday, which would allow defendants to access the source code of software used to analyze evidence in their criminal proceedings. It would also require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create testing standards for forensic algorithms, which software used by federal enforcers would need to meet.
  
  The bill would act as a check on unintended outcomes that could be created by using technology to help solve crimes. Academic research has highlighted the ways human bias can be built into software and how facial recognition systems often struggle to differentiate Black faces, in particular. The use of algorithms to make consequential decisions in many different sectors, including both crime-solving and health care, has raised alarms for consumers and advocates as a result of such research.

Pregnant Woman Found Dead in Indiana in 1992 Identified Through Forensic Genealogy (U.S. News – 2/15/2024)

- A pregnant woman who was found dead in 1992 in a northeastern Indiana basement has been identified through forensic genetic genealogy and DNA provided by her father, authorities said Thursday.
  
  The woman was identified as Tabetha Ann Murlin of Fort Wayne, who was about 26 weeks pregnant at the time of her death, said Allen County Coroner Dr. E. Jon Brandenberger.
  “This is Tabetha’s day, and you’ve been waiting to have a day for her for all this time,” the coroner said at a news conference attended by some of Murlin’s relatives nearly 32 years after her body was discovered.

DNA Evidence Exonerated a Man After He Spent 37 Years Behind Bars. Now Tampa is Paying Him $14 Million (KTVZ21 – 2/15/2024)

- After a man wrongfully spent 37 years in prison for rape and murder, the Tampa City Council unanimously voted Thursday to approve a $14 million settlement in a federal lawsuit.
  Robert DuBoise, who was convicted of the August 1983 rape and murder of 19-year-old Barbara Grams in Tampa Heights, was exonerated in September 2020 after DNA evidence established that he did not commit the crimes.

Wabasso Wold War II Soldier Identified 82 Years Later Thanks to DNA, Forensics (WPTV – 2/15/2024)

- Right now, teams of scientists, historians and countless others are searching for World War II servicemen still missing around the world.
  About 72,000 American servicemen are listed as unaccounted for and many were from Florida. That number gets smaller each day as families receive closure.
  That’s about to happen for a Vero Beach family after 82 years of mystery, frustration and sadness.

Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify 2008 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 2/15/2024)

- In March 2008, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in Churchill County, Nevada. A passerby discovered skeletal fragments partially covered with dirt and gravel in a remote area near US highway 95 near mile marker 55. The Churchill County Sheriff’s Office responded and conducted a death investigation. The shallow dirt grave was excavated and numerous skeletal fragments, along with an orange halter top, were discovered.
  The individual’s remains was transported to the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office where a complete autopsy was performed by a county forensic pathologist. It was determined that the remains were that of an adult female. The woman’s cause of death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was homicide. Despite investigators attempts to identify the woman, her identity remained a mystery. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP8110.
  In 2023, the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract that was used in Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unidentified homicide victim. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop investigative leads that were returned to the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.
  Using these new leads, the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office conducted a follow-up investigation, leading to a potential relative who provided a DNA sample for direct comparison. Othram used KinSNP® to compare the two DNA samples, making a positive identification. The woman is now identified as Betty Lou Japel. Japel was 70 years old at the time of her death. Betty Lou Japel was last heard from in 2006 after going missing while traveling with her partner, Kenneth Miller. In June 2007, Miller’s body was found in a grave near the site of where their abandoned motor home was located in Oregon. Betty Lou Japel was never heard from or seen again. Ms. Japel’s next of kin has been notified and is now able to claim her remains.
  She and her boyfriend of 30 years were RVers who befriended someone along the way. Their friend, a felon, got into a shootout with police and shortly after, the boyfriend’s body was found near an RV park where they’d camped, but there was no sign of the woman (Betty Lou). After the shootout, the friend committed suicide and was found in the desert near Mexico. It’s believed (assumed?) that the friend killed the man and woman.

Man Found Floating in Lake Washington Near Mercer Island in 2018 Identified (DNA Doe Project – 2/16/2024)

- A man found in Lake Washington in May, 2018 wearing only socks has been identified as Angel Arroyo Hernandez, aged 53, who had been estranged from his family for some time before his death.
  Investigators with the Mercer Island Police Department worked on the case without any success until mid-2021, when they reached out to the DNA Doe Project to try investigative genetic genealogy. A blood sample taken from the body at the time he was discovered was analyzed and processed to create a DNA profile that was uploaded to the public databases at GEDmatch Pro and FTDNA.com. The profile had thousands of matches in the databases, but none were close relatives. Volunteer investigative genetic genealogists then began to build family trees with the closest matches, looking for common ancestors that would help them narrow the vast tree to the correct branch.
  Initially, investigators believed that this John Doe was of Asian descent, but it quickly became apparent to the genealogists that he was actually Hispanic, with many ancestors who were from Mexico and the Southwest US. Combing through historical records hand-written in Spanish, they traced his family across 11 generations through more than 200 years to find Mr Hernandez.

With the Help of the EU Support ICMP Assists State Scientific Research Forensic Center (SSRFC) in Efforts to Account for Missing Persons in Ukraine (Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine – 2/16/2024)

With the EU financial support, the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) has donated equipment and material worth more than EUR 120,000 to Ukraine’s State Scientific Research Forensic Center (SSRFC) to support efforts to account for missing persons as a result of the Russian invasion.
ICMP has donated two AB 3500 genetic analyzers to Ukraine’s State Scientific Research Forensic Center in Kyiv, which is under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The AB 3500 genetic analyzers are essential instruments in the process of DNA profiling of biological samples provided by families who have missing relatives and biological samples from cases of unidentified mortal remains.
The donation will facilitate DNA-led human identification and is emblematic of the growing cooperation between ICMP and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in general, and the State Scientific Research Forensic Center in particular.

Mississippi Office of the State Medical Examiner and Forrest County Sheriff’s Office Team with Othram to Identify 2022 Jane Doe (DNASolves – 2/16/2024)

- In October 2022, the remains of an unidentified individual were found near Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Conservation Officers from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks responded to a report of possible game-related illegal activity on the north side of the Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center. While investigating, the Conservation Officers discovered skeletal remains in a wooded area. The Forrest County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), military representatives from Camp Shelby and the Forrest County Coroner responded to the scene with assistance provided by the University of Southern Mississippi Anthropology Department.
  In December 2022, the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by students and faculty from the University of Southern Mississippi’s Anthropology Department and a canine named Rambeaux, provided by the company, DNA K9, performed an additional search of the area. The team located more human remains belonging to the individual during this search. It was determined that the remains were that of a white female, who was likely less than 60 years old at the time of her death and who stood between 5’5” and 5’9” tall.
  Two rings, a band with diamonds and a solid silver band, were found in close proximity to the woman’s remains. A certified jeweler verified that, based on the cut of the stones and the setting, the diamonds were real, and the ring was likely vintage. No identifying characteristics could be determined for the woman, and she was classified as Jane Doe. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP111129.
  In 2023, working with the Mississippi Office of the State Medical Examiner, the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram, in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the woman. 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 woman. 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 investigators to genetic relatives of the unknown woman. DNA reference testing was performed, confirming the identity of the woman as Kimberly Ann Robertson of State Line, Mississippi. Robertson was born January 12, 1974 and worked as a nurse. Robertson’s death remains under investigation and further information will be released as it becomes available.

DNA from Trash Links Former U.S. Soldier to 1978 Murder in Germany, Investigators Say: “Match was 1 in 270 quadrillion” (CBS News – 2/19/2024)

An American man is under arrest and facing extradition to Germany for the 1978 murder of a woman that took place while he was stationed at a U.S. Army base there. Investigators say DNA evidence found at the crime scene decades ago has been matched to the suspect, James Patrick Dempsey.
“Investigators determined that the likelihood of a match was 1 in 270 quadrillion,” according to an extradition document filed in court last week.
Dempsey is accused of stabbing and killing 35-year-old Bärbel Gansau in her apartment in Ludwigsburg, Germany. She was found dead in her bed with 37 stab wounds. Investigators said a bathroom window was open, and they collected fingerprint evidence from the window frame suggesting her attacker had entered the apartment this way.

20-Year-Old Bensalem Cold Case Finally Closed Thanks to Genealogy (CBS News – 2/19/2024)

A 20-year-old cold case was finally closed in Bucks County thanks to the Bensalem Township Police Department and the Cold Case Initiative, police announced Monday.
The investigation began on Oct. 19, 2003, when officials said two fishermen found a man’s body on the banks of the Delaware River, specifically in the drainage area of the Yellow Freight trucking company, which is located at 2627 State Road.
Bensalem police said the man had no identification, nor did he match any description of missing persons in the nearby area.
This was the case up until December 2022, when police received hair samples from an autopsy performed by the Bucks County Coroner’s Office. Shortly thereafter, the hair samples were used to create a DNA profile in a private lab.
The Cold Case Initiative, a nonproift that assists agencies with funding to solve cold cases, then joined the investigation to help fund a genetic genealogy search of public DNA databases with a genealogist.

Mother of ‘Baby Skylar’ Who Was Found Dead in Phoenix Airport Trash Can 19 Years Ago is Arrested (NBC News – 2/20/2024)

The mother of a newborn girl found dead in a garbage can at a Phoenix airport in 2005 has been arrested after investigators dug back into the cold case using genetic genealogy, police announced Tuesday.
The infant, called “Baby Skylar,” was found deceased, wrapped in newspapers and a white towel and stuffed in a plastic Marriot hotel bag, in a Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport women’s restroom on Oct. 10, 2005.
For years, investigators searched for suspects in Baby Skylar’s death.
Nineteen years later, police have identified a suspect — the baby’s mother — Annie Anderson, 51, of Washington state.

Pennsylvania State Police Teams with Othram to Identify Sugarloaf Jane Doe (DNASolves – 2/20/2024)

In December 1994, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered off Tomhicken Road in Sugarloaf Township, which is located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. A mining reclamation project was underway when skeletal remains were discovered. Authorities responded to the scene and determined that the remains were that of a female who was approximately 5’1” to 5’4” tall and estimated to be between the ages of 34 and 47 years at the time of her death. The woman could not be identified and she became known as Sugarloaf Jane Doe. Her cause and manner of death could not be determined.
In 1996, a clay facial reconstruction was developed and released to the public in hopes that it would generate new leads in the case. For approximately thirty years, investigators followed leads and made comparisons in an attempt to identify Sugarloaf Jane Doe. Multiple individuals were excluded in the search for the woman’s identity. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP8919.
In May 2023, the Pennsylvania State Police submitted forensic evidence to Othram, in The Woodlands, Texas in hopes that advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy could help to identify the woman. Othram scientists successfully developed a comprehensive genealogical profile for the unknown woman using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®. Once this process was complete, the DNA profile was returned to PSP investigators, who used forensic genetic genealogy to develop new leads in the case.
Throughout the course of their investigation, investigators identified a possible relative for Sugarloaf Jane Doe. Through an interview with this relative, a DNA sample was obtained for comparison to the DNA profile of the unknown woman. The DNA sample confirmed that the relative was the unknown woman’s sister. Sugarloaf Jane Doe is now identified as Margaret Carol Wininger, who was born September 5, 1948. Margaret attended West Hazelton High School in 1965-1966. She went missing in the early 1990s when she was living with her family in Northeast Philadelphia.

Mississippi Office of the State Medical Examiner, Hinds County Coroner’s Office, & Jackson PD Team with Othram to Identify 2023 John Doe (DNASolves – 2/20/2024)

In March 2023, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in Jackson, Mississippi. Jackson is located in Hinds County in central Mississippi. The Jackson Police Department responded to the scene and found the remains of the individual located in an abandoned house on Cooper Road. It was determined that the remains were that of a male. The man’s age and other identifying characteristics could not be determined.
Despite the efforts of investigators, the man’s identity could not be determined and he became known as Hinds County John Doe. In 2023, Hinds County Deputy Coroner Jeramiah Howard, the Jackson Police Department, and Mississippi Office of the State Medical Examiner teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy could help determine the identity of the man.
In December 2023, forensic evidence was submitted to Othram, in The Woodlands, Texas. 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 forensic genetic genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
A follow-up investigation led investigators to relatives of the unknown man. DNA reference testing was performed, confirming the identity of the man as Gary L. Lockhart, born January 30, 1953. Lockhart was a veteran, serving in Panama and the Vietnam war. Lockhart was reported missing and his daughters actively searched for him for over a decade, even hiring private investigators to track him. Eventually Lockhart became untraceable, and his whereabouts were unknown.

New Forensic Lab Seeks to Reduce Evidence Backlog in California (Forensic – 2/21/2024)

The Placer County Board of Supervisors took a monumental step toward making the Placer County District Attorney’s Office (California) forensic crime laboratory project a reality, by voting to officially move the project in to its first phase of planning.
“This is an incredible partnership across the county reaffirming Placer County’s unwavering commitment to solving problems,” said Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire. “Currently, forensic testing is beholden to the state’s priorities, timelines, and limitations. Often times, justice is on hold. This forensic crime lab will not only address this issue for our county, but for the region as well—positioning Placer County, once again, as a leader through collaboration and innovation in criminal justice. We believe this project will be a flagship program for our region, state and the nation.”
“Our county serves as a leader on public safety and criminal justice issues,” said Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo. “With that said, we are experiencing a gap in service while waiting for the state to return forensic evidence results. The statewide backlog delays investigations and prolongs the criminal justice process. This innovative project will be critical to fill this service gap and will be a game changer for the region.”
The board took a number of actions surrounding the project, including entering into an agreement with the California State University Board of Trustees to move forward into the preconstruction phase of the project. This phase includes creating a strategic plan for the lab, creating a design, securing permits, and more.

Bode Technology Launches Advanced Genetic Genealogy Service (Forensic – 2/21/2024)

Bode Technology is advancing the field of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG) with a suite of end-to-end, validated genome sequencing options that enable access to its fully accredited, in-house forensic DNA capabilities.
Using the most sophisticated technologies available, Bode is at the forefront of forensic genealogy, supporting law enforcement and innocence projects worldwide in our ISO 17025 accredited laboratory, and supported by our team of well-rounded, highly experienced professional forensic genetic genealogists. With extensive experience in processing and analyzing complex and severely degraded samples, Bode excels in making communities safer, whether through the elimination of sexual assault backlogs, providing rapid DNA services when time is of the essence, or applying the latest DNA technology such as FIGG to assist in the resolution of challenging cases.