Jun 16 2023

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 Technology Links Suspect to Second Child Homicide in Boardman Township During 1970s (Ohio Attorney General – 6/08/2023)

- Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today joined Boardman Township Chief of Police Todd Werth and Mahoning County Prosecuting Attorney Gina DeGenova to announce the identification of a suspect in a 1975 cold case homicide.
  “Consider these victims, 12 and 13 years old – they had their entire lives ahead of them,” Yost said. “Their murderer stole everything they could have become and could have achieved. Today’s announcement does not mitigate their loss, but reinforces why our cold case team pours their heart and soul into their work, reminding us that everyone matters and we need to fight for justice.”
  In 1975, the Boardman Twp. community was left searching for answers after a teenage boy, David Evans, was reported missing and later found dead. The discovery of Evan’s body came 1,023 days after the murder of another young boy, Bradley Bellino.
  As time passed and crime fighting DNA technology progressed, detectives with the Boardman Twp. Police Department continued to work the unsolved homicides, requesting assistance from the attorney general’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s (BCI) forensic laboratory. This work has conclusively linked both homicides to the same offender, Joseph Norman Hill Sr., who lived in Boardman Twp. before moving to and ultimately dying in California.

Tulsa Investigators Solve 15-Year-Old Rape Case With Grant-Funded DNA Testing (News On 6 – 6/08/2023)

- Tulsa Police Special Victim’s unit has solved another old rape case, thanks to grant money that’s letting them test old rape kits.
  This is the second solved case in the past week and this one, was 15 years old.
  Prosecutors have charged Isaias Barron with raping a woman at knife point in 2007, after her rape kit was tested and got a DNA match to Barron, who’s already in prison for another rape.
  Barron was convicted and sentenced to more than 38 years in prison for raping an 83-year-old woman in her Tulsa home back in 2020. Because he was convicted, his DNA was on file and detectives said that was key to solving the 2007 rape case.

Genealogy IDs Jane Doe 25 Years After Murderer Turned Himself in to Police (Forensic – 6/12/2023)

- In October 1997, a duck hunter located a dismembered female torso in the Ryan Slough, just north of Eureka. The remains were recovered, however, attempts to identify the female victim were unsuccessful. In January of 1998, additional remains were located and recovered on Clam Beach.
  On Nov. 3, 1998, Wayne Adam Ford arrived at the HCSO’s Main Station in possession of a female body part. He subsequently admitted to murdering several women throughout the North State, including the unidentified female. Investigators interviewed Ford numerous times, obtaining descriptive details of the female. Ford’s encampment was searched as part of the investigation. Investigators located additional remains belonging to the female recovered from the Slough. Attempts to identify the female were made, but ultimately were unsuccessful.
  HCSO Sheriff William Honsal created the Cold Case Unit in 2021, assigning two investigators to exclusively review HCSO’s unsolved cases for new leads. In December of 2022, the HCSO and the CA DOJ partnered with Othram Inc., to determine if advanced forensic DNA testing could help establish the identity of the unknown female, or a close relative.
  “During our review of cold cases, we identified multiple cases that could benefit from this DNA technology,” said HCSO Cold Case Investigator Mike Fridley. “Earlier this year we were able to identify another unknown person by using this technology. We were eager to submit this case for consideration and to finally bring some closure to the victim’s family.”
  The case was determined to be eligible for advanced forensic DNA testing and the HCSO sent Othram a DNA extract from the remains. Othram scientists used Forensic Genome Sequencing to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the female. Utilizing this profile and forensic genealogy, a potential DNA match was developed for a close relative. Investigators contacted the relative, inquiring if they had any missing family members. The relative stated that their family member, Kerry, had been missing since the mid-1990s.
  HCSO investigators were able to track down Kerry’s sister, Kathie, who confirmed that Kerry’s last contact with family was in 1997. Kathie provided investigators with a DNA sample which was then compared to the DNA sample from the unknown female’s remains. These DNA profiles were confirmed to be a genealogic match- officially identifying the remains as that of Kerry Ann Cummings, born in 1972.

Remains Found Outside Plainview in 1982 Identified (DNA Doe Project – 6/13/2023)

Debra Mackey’s case had remained unsolved for over four decades, leaving investigators and the community searching for answers. In 1982, authorities initially misidentified Debra’s race as Caucasian, which led to significant challenges in identifying her accurately.
Known as Plainview Jane Doe 1982, the remains discovered along a dirt road were badly decomposed and missing her skull, but it was clear to authorities that she was the victim of foul play. A skull found at another location was believed to belong to Jane Doe’s remains, and was even buried with her in 1982. After exhuming the remains in 2015, authorities determined the skull was actually from another person. They reached out to the DNA Doe Project in 2018 to try using DNA to learn her identity. The challenging biological sample spent nearly a year in the labs before a workable DNA profile was developed and research into Jane Doe’s family tree could begin.
The DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit organization specializing in the identification of unidentified persons using genetic genealogy, played a pivotal role in resolving this case, but not in the usual way. One of the first tasks for the team was to evaluate the possible race and ethnicity of the DNA profile, and they quickly concluded that this Jane Doe was in fact African-American and not Caucasian as investigators originally thought. With this new information, a search of the NamUS database turned up Debra Mackey’s missing persons record, and this lead was provided to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Confirmation of the identification was announced this month.

DNA Connects Man Who Went Missing in 2003 to Body Recovered in 2008 (DNA Doe Project – 6/13/2023)

The DNA Doe Project (DDP) and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department have confirmed the identity of a man found December 24, 2008 as Jose Espinosa, who had been reported missing in May, 2003.
When investigators located the partial skeletal remains in 2008, they estimated that the man had died about three years earlier, and that he was Caucasian. Unable to identify him through traditional techniques, the case went cold until they reached out to the DNA Doe Project in 2020 to try investigative genetic genealogy to make an identification. The case required multiple attempts to produce a workable DNA Profile, and shortly after the DNA Doe Project’s team of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists began their research, it became clear that the man’s ancestry pointed to Central America.
“My team is so proud to be able to aid in the identification of Mr. Espinoza,” said team leader Gwen Knapp. “This case had challenging genealogy due to endogamy, adoptions and record availability.”
A routine review of missing persons in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS) by DNA Doe Project investigators located the record for Jose Espinosa, who had not been ruled out in the initial investigation. “The team was able to use clues the DNA provided to re-evaluate reported missing persons for potential identities,” Knapp shared. “DDP suggested Mr. Espinoza as a candidate and the agency was able to confirm that 2008 Mecklenburg County John Doe was indeed Mr. Jose Espinoza. This was truly a collaborative effort between the agency and DDP.”
The DNA Doe Project wishes to acknowledge the contributions of the groups and individuals who helped solve this case: the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, who entrusted the case to the DNA Doe Project; Astrea Forensics for extraction of DNA from tooth and bone; HudsonAlpha Discovery for sequencing; Kevin Lord of Saber Investigations for bioinformatics; GEDmatch Pro and FTDNA for providing their databases;and DDP’s dedicated teams of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists who work tirelessly to bring victims home.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department & NC Unidentified Project Team with Othram to Identify 2021 John Doe (DNASolves – 6/13/2023)

In June 2021, human remains were located near the 4200 block of Trailer Drive in Charlotte, North Carolina. The remains were transported to the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office. The decedent was determined to be male and no evidence of trauma was found. Upon discovery of the remains, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) detectives worked to identify the decedent, but were unsuccessful despite their exhaustive efforts. Details of the unidentified person case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP90707.
In June 2022, CMPD detectives requested the assistance of the North Carolina Unidentified Project to identify the unknown man. Dr. Ann Ross, Forensic Anthropologist at North Carolina State University, sent skeletal remains to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®, Othram built a comprehensive DNA profile for the decedent so that forensic genetic genealogy could be performed to provide new leads in an attempt to identify the unknown man.
Forensic Genealogist Leslie Kaufman performed the forensic genetic genealogy for this case. Mrs. Kaufman provided detectives with leads that would subsequently help to identify the decedent. Following these leads, CMPD detectives collected DNA from a potential relative of the decedent for reference testing. In March 2023, CMPD detectives were able to positively identify the unknown decedent as Cody Ray Herrell, who was born February 13, 1983. Herrell was originally from South Carolina, but was known to live on the streets of Charlotte. Cody’s remains have been returned to his family for final arrangements.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department & NC Unidentified Project Team with Othram to Identify 1988 John Doe (DNASolves – 6/13/2023)

- In February 1988, human remains were found in the elevator shaft of an abandoned building located at 237 N. Tryon St in Charlotte, North Carolina. The building had been abandoned since 1981 and had been recently purchased by Dunhill Development for redevelopment into what is now the Dunhill Hotel. Upon discovery of the remains, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) detectives worked to identify the decedent, but were unsuccessful despite their exhaustive efforts. In March of 2021, details of the unidentified person case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP79092.
  In June 2022, CMPD detectives requested the assistance of the North Carolina Unidentified Project to identify this decedent. Dr. Ann Ross, Forensic Anthropologist at North Carolina State University, sent skeletal remains to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®, Othram built a comprehensive DNA profile for the decedent so that forensic genetic genealogy could be performed to provide new leads in an attempt to identify the unknown man.
  Forensic Genealogist Leslie Kaufman performed the forensic genetic genealogy for this case. Mrs. Kaufman provided detectives with a potential name of the decedent. Following these leads, CMPD detectives collected DNA from a potential relative of the decedent for reference testing. In May 2023, CMPD detectives were able to positively identify the unknown decedent as World War II veteran, Oliver Doc Mundy. Mundy, who was known by his family and friends as “O.D.”, was born July 20, 1923. Mundy was from Mooresville, NC but had been known to live on the streets of Charlotte. Mundy’s family in Mooresville received his remains for final arrangements.

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify 1976 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 6/13/2023)

In October 1976 the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office recovered the unidentified skeletal remains of a male subject in a western, rural region of Palm Beach County off of State Highway #827 near the Talisman Farm cane field. Investigators determined the victim had been shot and killed, but there were few clues at the crime scene to point to the homicide victim’s identity.
Over the years, the homicide victim remained unidentified and became part of the Nameless Unidentified Human Remains Case Files. The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP1330. In 2022, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office sent skeletal remains for the unidentified homicide victim to Othram. Othram scientists developed a suitable DNA extract from the skeletal remains and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile. Othram’s in-house genealogy team used the profile in a genealogical search to produce investigative leads.
The investigative leads were returned to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and a follow up investigation determined that the 1976 homicide victim was in fact Douglas Streeter of Bryan, Ohio. Streeter traveled to Florida with a group of friends from Ohio in March of 1976 and was last seen in the area of the Spanish Oaks Apartments in Boca Raton, Florida. He never returned home and his whereabouts remained unknown until now. Streeter also had ties to North Adams, Michigan and was also known by the nickname of “Strut”.

Identification of 1996 Suspect Leads to 2 Additional Child Victims (Forensic – 6/14/2023)

- On Monday, 59-year-old Richard Jeffrey Martinez was arrested in connection with a 1996 sexual assault of a 7-year-old victim in the Cherry Orchard neighborhood of Sunnyvale, Calif.
  At the time, the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Detectives vigorously investigated all potential leads and trace evidence, but the case went unsolved with the suspect being unidentified for nearly three decades.
  In 2022, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Detectives began collaborating with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit on the case. Through the use of forensic genealogy and an extensive follow up investigation, Martinez was identified as the suspect in the sexual assault.
  Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Detectives located and arrested Martinez at his current place of residence in San Jose, CA.
  Since his arrest, detectives have identified two additional victims that were sexually assaulted by Martinez when they were juveniles. It is believed there could be more who are not yet known. These investigations are still active.

New Software Helps Forensic Labs Resolve Mixed DNA Profiles (Lab Manager – 6/13/2023)

- The team that created ground-breaking forensic software STRmix™ is launching a new version of DBLR™, its investigative application for rapidly calculating likelihood ratios (LRs) in DNA evidence. Forensic labs using DBLR™ v1.3 with STRmix™ are able to visualize the value of DNA mixture evidence, undertake mixture-to-mixture comparisons, and achieve superfast database searches. DBLR™ also provides increased accessibility since it can run on a user’s PC without the need for high-performance computing.

Allatoona Lake John Doe Identified as 71-Year-Old Resident of South Carolina (Yahoo! – 6/14/2023)

- Identifinders International LLC in conjunction with the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia, announces the identification of Allatoona Lake “John Doe” as George F. Madden III.
  Mr. Madden was a resident of Columbia, South Carolina at the time he was reported missing in October of 2019. He was identified using forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) based on a sample of his hair. The identification was later confirmed through his dental records. In August 2018, the remains of an unidentified male were found in Lake Allatoona, near Cartersville, Georgia. He had suffered a single gunshot wound and carried no identification. A fingerprint comparison and facial recognition analysis by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation failed to identify the man now known to be Madden.

Nevada Department of Public Safety, Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, NamUs, and Othram Team to Identify 1978 Imlay Jane Doe (DNASolves – 6/14/2023)

- On October 26, 1978, the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office received a report that human remains were found in Pershing County, Nevada approximately 13 miles west of Imlay near Scossa Road. Officers with the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and located the human remains inside of a garment bag buried in a shallow grave. Investigators collected several evidentiary items at the scene, including women’s clothing inside of the garment bag.
  The unidentified individual’s remains were transferred to Washoe Medical Center in nearby Reno, Nevada where an autopsy was performed. Investigators determined that the unknown individual was a Caucasian female who was approximately 40 to 50 years old at her time of death. Due to the condition of her remains, the woman’s cause of death could not be determined. Identifying information for the decedent was not found during the course of the investigation.
  In March 2022, investigators with the NDPSID, along with NamUs, enlisted the assistance of Othram in hopes of identifying the unknown woman. Forensic evidence was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas and Othram’s scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive DNA profile for the unidentified woman. Othram’s in-house genealogy team used the profile to develop investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement investigators.
  Investigators were able to determine that the unidentified woman is Florence Charleston of Cleveland, Ohio. A subsequent investigation revealed that Charleston moved to Portland, Oregon sometime in the early 1970’s and family members lost contact with her around 1978. The investigation into Charleston’s death is ongoing. Anyone with information about Charleston’s death is asked to contact the Nevada Department of Public Safety Investigation Division at 775-684-7456 and reference agency case number C-79-095.