Oct 19 2018
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 Tools for Law Enforcement Being Created at Rutgers University-Camden (SNJ Today – 10/12/2018)
A Rutgers University–Camden researcher is working to create new scientific approaches to forensics that may provide new crime-solving tools for law enforcement agencies.
How Genetic Sleuthing Helped a Kidnapped Girl Recover Her Identity (New York Times – 10/15/2018)
A complex case involving an abandoned child and a serial killer inspired a new way of solving crimes through cousins’ DNA and family tree data.
New DNA Evidence Found in 1998 Lyn Bryant Murder Case (BBC News – 10/15/2018)
Wisconsin Academics Propose State Forensic Science Commission (Forensic Magazine – 10/15/2018)
Wisconsin should establish its own commission to ensure a watchdog is overseeing forensic science in the Midwestern state, according to a new paper in the Journal of Science Policy and Governance authored by group of academics and scientists.
IARPA Wants to Identify Criminals From Their Skin Cells (Next Gov – 10/15/2018)
IARPA recently launched the Proteos program, which will explore ways to use proteins extracted from skin cells to connect individuals to crime scenes and other forensic evidence.
DNA Evidence Exonerates a Man of Murder After 20 Years in Prison (The New York Times – 10/16/2018)
Horace Roberts, 60, was freed from a California prison this month after DNA evidence showed that he had been wrongfully convicted of murder nearly two decades ago.
The New DNA Paradigm (The New Republic – 10/16/2018)
For years, DNA has largely been considered part of an invisible, mysterious realm that experts can dip into as needed: to identify criminals, to screen for disease. But that paradigm is giving way to a new one.
Michigan Court of Appeals Affirms STRmix Use, Lower Court Decision in State v Muhammad Case (Officer.com – 10/18/2018)
Court concludes that the trial court “did not abuse its discretion in admitting the results” from DNA testing.
The Culprit’s Name Remains Unknown. But He Licked a Stamp, and Now His DNA Stands Indicted. (Washington Post – 10/17/2018)
The approach, used rarely by prosecutors, is designed for occasions when no suspect can be identified, but their genetic makeup can. The state of Wisconsin, prosecutors told The Washington Post, actually pioneered the tactic.
Called a “John Doe warrant,” or in this case, a “DNA profile indictment,” it originated in the late 1990s as a way to file charges against unidentified rapists before it became too late, leaving rape victims without any prospect of justice.
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