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!
After Newer Forensic Tests Fail, Old Photo Helps Identify Remains of U.S. Soldier Who Died in Korean War (CBS News – 2/27/2026)
The remains of an American World War II veteran who died while serving in the Korean War have been identified thanks to an old photograph after newer forensic techniques came up short, U.S. military officials revealed on Thursday.
U.S. Army Sgt. Roger Duquesne, 25, was assigned to A Company, 89th Medium Tank Battalion, 25th Infantry Division in September 1950, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. On Sept. 3, he was reported missing in action while fighting North Korean forces near Masan, Korea, which is now part of South Korea. Duquesne disappeared while searching for a spare-parts kit, the DPAA said. He was declared dead on Dec. 31, 1953.
AI Trained on Thousands of Blood Samples Provides Accurate PMI (Forensic – 3/02/2026)
Currently, medical examiners use body temperature, rigor mortis and the amount of potassium in the vitreous of the eye to determine time of death. While those methods can be accurate for people who are found soon after death, they yield less accurate results when a few days have passed since time of death. Researchers at Linkoping University (Sweden) recently turned to artificial intelligence to provide a more precise time of death in these situations.
When the body dies, a number of biological processes set in. Organs and tissues begin to break down, leading to changes in small molecules in the blood, called metabolites. They are broken down in a predictable way that correlates with how much time has elapsed since the time of death. This is what enables medical examiners to assess actual time of death in an individual.
Working with the Linköping University team, researchers at the Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine collected more than 45,000 blood samples from autopsies over a period of 10 years. Of the 45,000 samples, 4,876 with known post-mortem interval were used to train an AI model by analyzing the metabolites in the blood samples.
According to the study published in Nature Communications, the researchers showed their new model could predict the time from death to autopsy with a precision of about 1 day—even for those deceased for up to 13 days.
2026 Forensic Suppliers Guide & Industry Resource (Forensic – 3/02/2026)
Forensic’s 2026 Suppliers Guide & Industry Resource is an extension of our commitment to the forensic and broader criminal justice community. Inside this vital guide, you will find easy-to-locate information on products and technologies used across the forensic and law enforcement industries. There’s also a Supplier Index section to make it easy to get in touch with your supplier of choice.
This year’s cover story focuses on artificial intelligence. AI has introduced both new tools and new threats to the forensic landscape that has left law enforcement, forensic investigators and the judicial system with more questions than answers. Will these questions lead to a watershed moment in the coming years? “A New Generation: AI Evidence in Court” details case examples where AI has already made its way into the lab and courtroom, including a high-profile case we may be referencing for a long time coming.
Grant County Sheriff’s Office and King County Medical Examiner’s Office Team with Othram to Identify a 2011 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 3/03/2026)
In November 2011, skeletal remains were discovered in a remote area of Grant County, Washington. Deputies with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and began an investigation. Forensic examination determined the remains belonged to an adult male, likely between 25 and 45 years old, who stood approximately 5’7” tall. Investigators noted distinctive dental work, including open-faced crowns on his front incisor, and layered winter clothing, including long-sleeve shirts, jackets, and pants. The man had died from a gunshot wound in the year prior to the discovery of his remains.
An STR DNA profile was developed and entered into CODIS for comparison against known offenders and missing persons. No matches were returned. With no investigative leads, the man became known as Grant County John Doe. Case details were uploaded to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP9986, ensuring the information remained accessible to investigators and the public.
Recently, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and the King County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if 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.
In 2025, in partnership with the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office sought advanced forensic DNA testing to help resolve the case. Evidence was submitted to Othram, a forensic laboratory based in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the skeletal remains and applied Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to generate a comprehensive DNA profile suitable for advanced analysis.
During the course of the investigation, investigators identified a potential relative of the man. A reference DNA sample was collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man using Othram’s KinSNP® rapid relationship testing. Grant County John Doe (2011) is now known to be 39-year-old Jorgé Palayo-Rodriguez of Othello, Washington.
DNA Doe Project Identifies John Doe Found in Virginia in 1977 (DNA Doe Project – 2/23/2026)
Almost fifty years after he died in a traffic collision on the I-95, Ashland John Doe has been identified as 20-year-old Peter Adams. Though he was a native of Illinois, Adams was living in Pennsylvania at the time of his disappearance, hundreds of miles away from the stretch of Virginia highway where he was struck and killed.
At 2am on March 23, 1977, a young man was struck and killed by a truck on the I-95 near Ashland, Virginia. Despite having a recognizable face, he could not be identified. He was determined to be a Caucasian man between 20-25 years old and he wore blue jeans, a western-style shirt, and a jean jacket.
The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later brought this case to the DNA Doe Project, whose expert volunteer investigative genetic genealogists work pro bono to identify John and Jane Does. At the outset of the genealogy research on this case, it was clear that the unidentified man had deep roots in Peoria County, Illinois, as well as recent Polish heritage.
“The family tree in this case was complex,” said team co-leader Eryk Jan Grzeszkowiak. “In addition to dealing with pedigree collapse, we ended up needing to build family trees back to Poland, Germany and Switzerland amongst others.”
In spite of these challenges, the team made swift progress. After just over a week of research, they identified a husband and wife who both had familial connections to Ashland John Doe’s DNA matches. This couple had six children, but the oldest – Peter Adams – seemed to have dropped off the radar in the 1970s.
While records showed that Adams had attended high school in the Chicago suburbs in the early 1970s, there was no evidence of him being alive past 1977. The team presented this lead to the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and investigators then discovered that Adams had gone missing on March 17, 1977 – six days before the unidentified man had died. Further DNA testing facilitated by the Virginia State Police later confirmed that Peter Adams was indeed Ashland John Doe.
“We are honored that the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner came to the DNA Doe Project to help uncover Peter’s identity,” said team leader Traci Onders. “While this case was not without its challenges, we were able to resolve a mystery that’s lasted nearly half a century in a matter of days thanks to the hard work and expertise of our team.”
“I want to recognize the extraordinary investigative efforts undertaken by Trooper Ed Ryder and the agents who worked tirelessly in the late 1970s to identify Peter Adams,” said Capt. Brien Frey of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Richmond Field Office. Although an identification was not possible at that time, their diligence, investigative methods, and commitment to this case were commendable and laid the groundwork for the answers we have today,”
“Mr. Adams’ identification is the result of a strong collaborative partnership between the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the DNA Doe Project, and a family who never forgot their brother. I also want to personally thank Cold Case Special Agent Jonathan Johnson for his continued dedication and leadership in bringing this case to a resolution. This partnership, combined with advancements in DNA technology, has finally provided long-awaited answers in a case that remained unresolved for nearly 50 years.”
The DNA Doe Project is grateful to the groups and individuals who helped solve this case: the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, who entrusted the case to the DNA Doe Project; the Virginia State Police, for their support; Genologue for DNA extraction and sequencing; Kevin Lord of Astrea Forensics for bioinformatics; GEDmatch Pro for providing their database; Audiochuck for the funding they provided for this case; our generous donors who joined our mission and contributed to this case; and the DNA Doe Project’s dedicated teams of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists who work tirelessly to bring all our John and Jane Does home.
University Unveils Tech-heavy Public Safety and Forensics Institute (Forensic – 3/04/2026)
Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of its new Public Safety and Forensics Institute on Feb. 26, 2026, marking a milestone for law enforcement and forensic science education in the region. The facility reflects the university’s expanded statewide mission and commitment to immersive learning that prepares students for real-world careers.
MSSU’s Emergency Manager and Chair of Justice Studies Tim Wilson highlighted the Institute’s role in preparing students and strengthening Missouri’s public safety workforce. University leaders and community partners then participated in an official ribbon cutting before guests toured the facility.
Study Tests Effects of Cleaning Methods on Blood, DNA Removal (Forensic – 3/04/2026)
Cleaning blood from a violent crime scene can complicate crime scene investigations, particularly when accurate evidence is required for a conviction in court.
A new study led by Flinders University forensic science compares evidence collected from remaining DNA and hemoglobin (red blood cells) left on cotton t-shirt material and metal knives from wet and dried blood cleaned with a variety of different common cleaning products.
Flinders University Senior Lecturer in Forensic Science, Mariya Goray, says a number of washing products, antiseptics and bleach potentially used at a bloody crime scene can differ in their effect on DNA and hemoglobin evidence.
How a Clump of Moss Helped Convict Grave Robbers in Illinois (The Guardian – 3/04/2026)
It was a particularly heinous crime. Four workers at a cemetery near Chicago dug up more than 100 bodies and dumped the remains elsewhere in the grounds, in order to resell the burial plots for profit.
Now, nearly two decades after the scandal broke at Burr Oak cemetery in Alsip, Illinois, scientists have released details of how a tiny clump of moss became crucial forensic evidence that helped convict the grave robbers.
Dr Matt von Konrat, head of botanical collections at the Field Museum in Chicago, was drawn into the case in 2009 when he received a phone call from the FBI. “They asked if I knew about moss and brought the evidence to the museum,” he said.
An investigation by local police had found human remains buried under inches of earth at the cemetery, a site of enormous historical importance. Several prominent African Americans are buried at the cemetery, including Emmett Till, whose murder in 1955 became a catalyst for the civil rights movement, and the blues singer Dinah Washington.
DNA Doe Project Identifies Remains Found in New Hampshire in 1986 (DNA Doe Project – 3/05/2026)
Forty years after human remains were discovered in New Hampshire, the DNA Doe Project and their agency partners have identified New Hampshire Cranium Doe as Warren Kuchinsky. Kuchinsky had last been seen in the mid-1970s, ten years before his skull was found. A transnational team of over forty volunteers worked intensively to restore his identity, ultimately identifying him in less than 24 hours.
In 1986, a skull was located in a wooded area of Bristol, New Hampshire. An examination the next year revealed that the skull belonged to an adult male, who had likely died 2-10 years prior. However, the identity of the man could not be determined, and he remained unidentified.
The New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, in partnership with the New Hampshire State Police, later brought this case to the DNA Doe Project, whose expert investigative genetic genealogists work pro bono to identify John and Jane Does. A DNA profile was developed for the unidentified man and uploaded to the GEDmatch database, but all of his DNA matches there turned out to be distant relatives. The closest match shared just 1% of his DNA with New Hampshire Cranium Doe.
Hoping to overcome the obstacle of these distant DNA matches, the DNA Doe Project selected this case to be worked on at a virtual ‘retreat’ that took place in May 2025. More than forty genealogists from the United States, Canada, England, and Scotland came together virtually to spend a weekend working solely on this case.
“Our retreats often act as a catalyst for solving a case,” said team member Matthew Waterfield. “When you have that many people working together simultaneously, you tend to make progress remarkably quickly.”
The case was launched on a Friday evening, and the team soon made multiple breakthroughs. Numerous connections were made within the first few hours, and it was soon apparent that the unidentified man had roots in both New Hampshire and Quebec. The next day, the team made further headway, and by the afternoon they had zeroed in on a person of interest.
This person was a man named Warren Kuchinsky. Kuchinsky was born in 1952 and had attended school in the town of Plymouth, about 10 miles from where the skull was found. The last proof of life the team could find for him was from 1970 – after that, there was seemingly no trace of him.
With the team unable to find any proof that Kuchinsky was still alive, they presented this lead to the New Hampshire State Police. NHSP investigators followed up on this and collected a DNA sample from one of Warren’s surviving family members. Further testing later confirmed that the man formerly known as New Hampshire Cranium Doe was, in fact, Warren Kuchinsky.
“We are honored to have partnered with the State of New Hampshire on this case,” said team leader Lisa Ivany. “Through the power of investigative genetic genealogy and the dedication of our volunteer genealogists, we were able to develop a critical lead in less than 24 hours. We truly hope that this identification brings long-awaited answers to Mr. Kuchinsky’s family.”
“This identification reflects the power of partnership and scientific advancement,” said Attorney General John Formella. “The dedication of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the investigative support of the New Hampshire State Police, and the extraordinary work of the DNA Doe Project have restored a name to an individual who had been unidentified for nearly 40 years. We are grateful for their professionalism and commitment.”
The DNA Doe Project is grateful to the groups who we worked with to solve this case: the New Hampshire State Police and the New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, who entrusted the case to the DNA Doe Project; the University of New Hampshire’s F.A.I.R. Lab, for their support; Astrea Forensics for DNA extraction and bioinformatics; Azenta Life Sciences for sequencing; GEDmatch Pro for providing their database; our generous donors who joined our mission and contributed to this case; and the DNA Doe Project’s dedicated teams of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists who work tirelessly to bring all our John and Jane Does home.
Identical Twins on Trial: Can DNA Testing Tell Them Apart? (Nature – 3/05/2026)
An identical twin commits a crime and leaves their DNA at the scene. Can DNA testing reveal which twin is the culprit?
This question reportedly came up in a case in France last month, in which the DNA of twin brothers was found on a gun, but conventional DNA testing could not determine which of the brothers it belonged to. The men are monozygotic twins — the result of a single egg splitting in two after being fertilized by a single sperm — meaning they have the same DNA.
When DNA is found at a crime scene, forensic scientists typically attempt to identify the person it belongs to using a technique called short tandem repeat (STR) analysis. The technique uses the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to amplify up to 30 specific regions of the genome that have a lot of genetic variation, says Brendan Chapman, a forensic scientist and researcher at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia.
These amplified regions are sequenced to determine the number of STRs and their base-pair patterns, which can then be compared against genealogy databases or STR profiles of suspects to identify potential matches. Ordinarily, Chapman says, “we can differentiate one person from the next very easily”. But with monozygotic twins, “there just is no difference” in those regions of the genome.