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 Miracle’: Teen Murdered Nearly 26 Years Ago Identified Through Genetic Genealogy (CNN – 7/25/2026)
After nearly 26 years, “Chelsea Jane Doe” was finally identified by her name this summer: Tiffany Bradley. The breakthrough closed a decades long search, bringing a long-awaited resolution to a mystery that had languished unsolved.
The case was cracked using investigative genetic genealogy, a combination of DNA analysis and paper trail research that has been used over the past decade to reverse engineer a person’s identity. While the technique has typically been used to search for suspects, the same method is providing a voice to the hundreds of unnamed Jane and John Does nationwide like Bradley.
“The fact that we are here today is a miracle,” Bradley’s niece Shakirah Wiggins said. “It is totally amazing that after 26 years, people care enough to give her a name and return her to her family.”
Bradley, 16, was a joyful child with a radiant smile, her family said. She vanished in November 2000, the FBI said. Meanwhile, for decades in Chelsea, Massachusetts, roughly 300 miles away, investigators had only grim fragments of a case — the mutilated remains of a teenage girl discovered in a parking lot, just across the river from Boston, and a killer who admitted to strangling and dismembering her. The culprit was behind bars, but the victim’s identity remained out of reach, according to Chelsea police.
After IGG Lead, Blood Recovered from Trash Matches 2012 Crime Scene Sample (Forensic – 7/27/2026)
The Arlington Police Department, in partnership with the FBI Dallas Field Office, has made an arrest in connection to the January 2012 murder of Irasema Chavez.
Following a thorough investigation, APD Homicide detectives obtained a warrant for the arrest of 42-year-old Mayra Velasquez on one count of Capital Murder. On July 16, 2026, members of the APD Fugitive Unit, Violent Crime Unit, and Covert Investigations Unit located Velasquez in Hurst and took her into custody without incident.
On January 20, 2012, at approximately 8:51 a.m., officers responded to Chavez’s apartment in the 2700 block of S. Collins Street after a family member reported finding her unresponsive and covered in blood inside. Chavez was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office determined she had been stabbed more than 100 times.
Officers learned a TV was missing from inside the apartment. Investigators believe it was taken by the suspect during the incident.
While processing the scene, APD Crime Scene Investigators located and collected a droplet of fresh blood that was on a bedroom television stand. The blood sample was sent to a crime lab for DNA analysis. The lab determined it did not belong to Chavez, but came from an unknown Hispanic female.
New DNA Lab Hopes to Provide Answers, Free Up State Resources (Forensic – 7/27/2026)
For nearly a century, the Wake County Bureau of Forensic Services (N.C.) has helped build a safer community by evolving alongside the science it depends on. Throughout its history, the bureau has embraced new methods and technologies to better support investigations and provide clearer answers for victims and families. The bureau’s new DNA laboratory, which has officially begun analyzing evidence, marks a major step forward in that work.
“In Wake County, we are committed to advancing public safety through innovation and excellence, and our Bureau of Forensic Services reflects that commitment,” said Wake County Commissioner Shinica Thomas. “The new DNA laboratory marks a major step forward in our ability to support investigations and safeguard our community.”
The laboratory features modern instrumentation, skilled analysts and access to CODIS, the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System. Its development was made possible in part through the sponsorship of U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, who helped secure federal funding for the project.
Chicago PD’s Lab Achieves Accreditation (Forensic – 7/27/2026)
The Chicago Police Department’s Forensic Services Division is now an accredited laboratory by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Accreditation Board (ANAB). CPD’s forensic laboratory achieved accreditation on its first assessment attempt, which is rare for a laboratory of its size. The department’s efforts to achieve this accreditation have been part of a multi-year, comprehensive effort rooted in the department’s commitment to strengthening investigations.
“Receiving accreditation is the culmination of years of hard work by the men and women of the Forensic Services Division to standardize the laboratory’s operations in accordance with national standards,” said First Deputy Superintendent Antoinette Ursitti, who oversaw the accreditation efforts during her time as Chief of Detectives. “With this accreditation, we will continue to hold ourselves to the highest levels of professionalism and integrity while continuing to seek justice for victims.”
As part of the accreditation, the Firearms, Latent Print Development, and Latent Print Examination sections were assessed to determine if the operations of the Forensic Services Division conformed with the requirements of ANAB ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ANAB AR 3125. The accreditation affirms the integrity of forensic testing in the laboratory, which is important not only during the course of investigations but also during the prosecution of criminal cases.
Toronto Police Service Teams with Othram to Identify a 1936 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 7/27/26)
On May 18, 1995, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in Toronto, Ontario. Demolition workers found skeletal remains buried in soil beneath the concrete floor of a demolished automotive garage building at 1515 Danforth Avenue.
Beneath the building were the remains of a woman who was between 20 and 30 years old. Investigators determined the woman had been intentionally buried after suffering at least six blunt force injuries to the head from a hammer-like weapon. It was believed that the woman had been murdered and buried decades prior.
Efforts to identify the woman were unsuccessful. Despite continued investigative work, the case went cold, and the woman remained unidentified for decades.
In 2022, investigators with the Toronto Police Service submitted evidence to Othram in the The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists worked to develop a sutiable DNA extract from the provided evidence, then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive SNP profile from the evidence.
The initial evidence submitted to Othram did not yield enough DNA of sufficient quality to produce a usable SNP profile. Othram scientists then returned to the skeletal remains and performed several additional extractions, recovering only small amounts of severely-degraded human DNA. Despite these challenges, multiple rounds of DNA testing ultimately enabled the development of a forensic SNP profile. This profile was used by Toronto Police Service genealogists who worked to develop new leads in the case.
These leads enabled a follow-up investigation that led to potential relatives of the woman. Using Othram’s KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing, a potential relative’s DNA profile was compared to the DNA profile of the woman, assisting investigators in identifying the woman as Mary McLeod Moffat (nee Davidson). Mary was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1905 and immigrated to Canada with her family in 1913.
Further investigation into historical records, family interviews, and evidence recovered from the burial site indicated she was likely murdered by her husband in approximately April 1936. Mary’s husband, Andrew Lloyd Moffat, who lived in the United States and Vancouver under the alias Drake Lloyd Cummings, died in 1985.
Toronto Police Service Teams with Othram to Identify a 2004 Toronto Jane Doe (DNASolves – 7/27/26)
On April 22, 2004, emergency personnel responded to a vehicle fire on Highway 401 near Highway 400 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. After the fire was extinguished, the remains of an unidentified woman were discovered in the vehicle’s passenger seat. Investigators determined that the vehicle had intentionally collided with a tractor-trailer and that the fire had been deliberately set with gasoline after the woman had already died. The driver of the car, Suimi Kilflu “Simon” Habteab, 38, of Toronto, was convicted of multiple crimes associated with the incident. Habtrab received an eight-year custodial sentence and was deported from Canada in 2012.
Efforts to identify the woman were unsuccessful despite continued investigative work. The case went cold, and the woman remained unidentified for 22 years.
In 2022, investigators with the Toronto Police Service partnered with Othram to determine whether advanced DNA testing could help identify the individual. Forensic evidence was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas for analysis. At Othram, scientists worked with extremely low quantities of severely-degraded human DNA to develop a comprehensive SNP profile for the woman using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®.
This profile enabled a forensic genetic genealogy search, which was conducted by the Toronto Police Service. The search generated new investigative leads for law enforcement, including information about the woman’s Indigenous ancestry and a connection to Cree communities along James Bay and the Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba.
Using these leads, investigators conducted a follow-up investigation that resulted in the identification of the individual as Patsy Flora Lagarde (also known as Legarde). Patsy was born in Ontario in 1962. Patsy’s parents were from the Berens River First Nation and the Long Lake #58 First Nation, respectively. Further investigation led investigators to Lagarde’s biological children, including one living in Alberta. Surviving family members were identified and notified, and family members were reunited as the cold case investigation advanced.
Barling Police Department Partners with Moxxy Forensics to Identify Deceased Man from 1993 (CBS 5News – 7/28/26)
The Barling Police Department is turning to advanced DNA testing and forensic genealogy to help identify a man who was found deceased in 1993.
In collaboration with Moxxy Forensic Investigations, a nonprofit organization specializing in investigative genetic genealogy for unidentified human remains, the Barling Police Department looks to restore the unknown man’s identity after over three decades.
Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office & FBI Leverage Othram’s Testing Platform to Identify a 1972 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 7/28/26)
On August 26, 1972, the remains of an unidentified man were discovered in Coos County, Oregon. A teenager peeling chittum bark in the woods approximately 1,000 feet behind Ray’s Food Store in Bandon found scattered skeletal remains in a brushy area off U.S. Highway 101, north of the Highway 42 junction. Investigators estimated the man was between 50 and 80 years old, and recovered clothing and personal effects that included denture plates etched with the inscription “S1214/66” or possibly “51214/66.” Authorities determined he had been shot twice in the head with a .22 caliber firearm, and the case was treated as a homicide.
Efforts to identify the man, including forensic examination of his remains and investigation into the denture inscription, were unsuccessful. Despite continued investigative work, the case went cold, and he remained unidentified for more than 50 years. The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP12289.
In 2025, investigators with the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office submitted evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas where scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to construct a comprehensive SNP profile for the man. This profile was used in a forensic genetic genealogy search led by the FBI, which generated new investigative leads in the case.
Using these leads, investigators conducted a follow-up investigation that resulted in the identification of the man as Armes Henry Lahti, born in 1909. Othram’s KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing was used to confirm the relationship of the man’s possible relatives as part of this identification. Armes, a World War II Navy veteran, was an avid fisherman. A man of large stature, Lahti was affectionately known as “Mousy” and his family described him as “a large, gentle man who loved the sea and was proud of his service to his country.”
Kern County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1978 Kern County Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 7/28/26)
On June 21, 1978, skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found in a shallow grave uncovered during cultivation of a vineyard near Arvin in Kern County, California. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Coroner Division responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. It was determined that the remains likely belonged to a young female between the ages of 13 and 24 years old. The remains were in a partial skeletal state, and because of their condition, the young woman could not be identified.
Despite a lengthy investigation, the Jane Doe could not be identified and became known as Arvin Jane Doe (1978). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP13916. Forensic constructions were developed and released to the public in hopes that someone would come forward with information about the young woman’s identity.
In 2025, the Kern County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas where scientists determined that advanced DNA testing could help identify the Jane Doe. At 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 young woman. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.
Remains Identified After Nearly 50 Years (Forensic – 7/29/26)
In June 1978, the remains of an unidentified female were discovered in Kern County near South Wheeler Ridge Road. Without an identity for the victim, the case went cold. For 48 years, detectives knew her only as Jane Doe.
Despite the efforts of detectives and forensic specialists, her identity remained unknown. Without her identity, there were no leads, no suspects, and no arrests.
Now, Jane Doe has been identified as Michelle Collier, providing long-awaited answers to a family that has lived for decades without knowing what happened to their loved one.
This was made possible due to the ongoing commitment of homicide detectives, the coroner’s office, along with the utilization of forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG).
Florida Sheriff’s Office First to Receive Result via Rapid DNA System (Forensic – 7/29/26)
On July 17, 2026, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) received approval as a partner agency in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Rapid DNA Program. This program is blazing the trail for other local agencies and states to begin or get more out of their rapid DNA programs.
Beginning in January 2025, MCSO’s DNA Screening Laboratory partnered with FDLE to bring FDLE’s Forensic Rapid DNA Program to life—the first program of this type in the nation. The goal was to expedite the processing of DNA samples gathered by MCSO to be entered into CODIS. This streamlined process allows for quicker results in linking serial violent crimes to each other and to known offenders.
Genealogy Helps ID 2012 John Doe Found Under Overpass (Forensic – 7/29/26)
The Utah State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has successfully identified an unknown deceased male discovered more than 14 years ago under an Interstate 15 overpass near Roy, Utah. Through the efforts of investigators and recent breakthroughs in forensic genetic genealogy, the individual has been positively identified as Terry Richardson Chawk of Florida.
In May 2012, Chawk’s remains were discovered in a state of advanced decomposition under a freeway overpass. At the time, it appeared he was living a transient lifestyle. Because there were no personal items, identification documents, or immediate clues at the scene, investigators were unable to identify him.
Despite the decomposition, the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services (State Crime Lab) successfully obtained a usable thumbprint. However, searches of all available national and international fingerprint databases yielded no matches.
Cold Case Unit ID’s Teen Trafficking Victim Missing Since 2020 (Forensic – 7/29/26)
Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit has identified the remains of Kristen Galvan, a Houston-area teen who went missing in January 2020 after becoming a victim of human trafficking. Her case remained unsolved until Paxton launched an advanced DNA investigation.
In November 2022, Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit received a request for assistance from the Missouri City Police Department regarding unidentified human remains recovered on Jan. 29, 2020. An autopsy and anthropological examination determined the victim was a female between 13 and 18 years old and the apparent victim of a homicide. Missouri City Police Department attempted to identify the remains, but their condition prevented the development of a STR profile, making advanced DNA testing necessary.
North Bay Police Service, Toronto Police Service, & RCMP Leverage Othram’s Identity Inference Platform to Identify a 1975 John Doe (DNASolves – 7/30/26)
On June 3, 1975, the remains of an unidentified man were discovered near North Bay, Ontario. Investigators recovered partial human remains in a wooded swampland area near an unused logging road off Highway 11. Efforts to identify the man, including forensic testing over the years, were unsuccessful. Despite continued investigative work, the case went cold, and the man went unidentified for more than 50 years.
Details of the case were entered into the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR) as case number 2005006199. NCMPUR provides specialized investigative services in support of missing persons and unidentified remains investigations across Canada.
In 2023, investigators with the North Bay Police Service re-opened the case. North Bay Poice Service officials, working together with Toronto Police Service and the RCMP, submitted evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists worked to developed a SNP DNA profile from the limited remains using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®. This profile was then used in a forensic genetic genealogy, which was led by law enforcement
New leads were developed in the case sparked a follow-up investigation that resulted in the identification of the man as Claude Hamilton Brownscombe, born on October 24, 1896 in Uxbridge, Ontario. This identification provides long-awaited answers to Mr. Brownscombe’s family.