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!
Siena University and DNA Finders Present 3rd Annual Cold Case Day: Friday, September 25, 2026 (DNASolves – 8/27/2026)
When September became National Cold Case Month in 2024, Siena University and DNA Finders partnered to host their first Cold Case Day event. Now in its third year, the 2026 Cold Case Day has expanded to include law enforcement training, speakers, and a community discussion panel. The event provides the backdrop for information sharing and brainstorming. Topics include using modern technology, securing creative funding and trying novel approaches. Cases move forward, and some are even solved, when experts and attendees put their heads together.
Cold Case Review Leads to Arrest in 2010 Murder of 11-Month-Old (Forensic – 9/02/2026)
Aurora Police (Illinois) have arrested Spiros Elias, 44, of Burlington, Illinois, in connection with the 2010 murder of an 11-month-old child.
On Dec. 17, 2010, Aurora Police and Aurora Fire Department personnel responded to a home in the 100 block of Cross Street for an 11-month-old boy who was unconscious and not breathing.
The child, Michael Ortiz, was initially transported to an Aurora hospital and later transferred to another hospital for additional treatment. He died from his injuries the following day.
An autopsy identified multiple injuries, and the DuPage County Coroner’s Office later determined Michael’s death was caused by injuries resulting from child abuse and classified the death as a homicide. Despite a thorough investigation, the initial investigators were unable to determine who was responsible, and the case remained unresolved.
In December 2024, Aurora Police Department’s dedicated cold case investigator initiated a comprehensive review of the case. Working alongside an APD investigator with specialized expertise in child abuse cases, investigators reexamined the original reports, witness statements, medical records, and other evidence collected during the initial investigation.
As part of that review, investigators conducted extensive additional interviews, including reinterviews of people connected to the case. They also consulted an independent pediatric radiologist and obtained additional laboratory analysis. The specialized medical review helped investigators more precisely establish when Michael’s fatal injuries occurred. Investigators compared that refined timeframe with the evidence and statements collected throughout the investigation and identified Elias, the live-in boyfriend of Michael’s mother at the time, as the person they believe was responsible for his death.
On Aug. 18, 2026, the case was presented to a Kane County grand jury, which returned an indictment charging Elias with the following offenses, resulting in the issuance of an arrest warrant.
SAKI, Genetic Genealogy Help Solve 1981 Murder (Forensic – 9/02/2026)
An Arizona man will soon be extradited to Texas on capital murder charges after modern forensic testing identified him as the person responsible for a 1981 sexual assault and murder. The suspect, Kelly Lee Brower, 68, was arrested on Aug. 19, 2026, in Cottonwood, Ariz.
On April 13, 1981, 23-year-old Yolanda Herrera’s nude body was discovered by children in a field near the 500 block of East Aviation Drive in Bexar Co. She had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death after last being seen walking home from a local bar shortly after it closed just a few days before.
In the years after Herrera’s murder, investigators made extensive efforts to identify her killer – but all known suspects were eliminated, and the case went cold for more than 40 years.
Then, in late 2020, this case was identified as being eligible for the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). Funded by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, this program provides vital investigative funding to help agencies resolve unsolved sexual assaults and sexually related homicides.
Under this program, investigators with the Texas Rangers and Universal City Police Department submitted evidence collected during the original autopsy for advanced DNA testing and genealogy research. In 2021, BODE Technologies was able to conduct a surname search that provided a lead to investigators. In that same year, BODE Labs were also able to extract a small amount of DNA from critical evidence; however, the amount obtained was too small for genealogy testing at the time.
In 2025, Othram further analyzed the DNA sample and utilized Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG) to identify a possible suspect. That testing and research ultimately led to the identification of Kelly Lee Brower. Investigators traveled to Arizona to meet with Brower, who confessed to Herrera’s murder after multiple interviews. He was arrested and will soon be extradited to Texas for prosecution.
Task Force Identifies Remains Discovered in 1980 (Forensic – 9/02/2026)
The Coconino County (Arizona) Unidentified Remains Task Force (CCURTF) has confirmed the identity of a previously unidentified decedent whose remains were discovered in a wooded area near Mt. Elden Road and Schultz Pass outside Flagstaff in July 1980.
Through a collaborative investigation utilizing advances in forensic science and genetic genealogy, the Task Force was able to establish the decedent’s identity. Following the completion of the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office final report, the remains were returned to their family.
The identification marks a significant success for the Task Force and its ongoing efforts to revisit long-standing unidentified remains cases using modern investigative tools and techniques.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and FDLE Team with Othram to Identify a Suspect in the 1973 Double Murder of Two Sisters (DNASolves – 9/02/26)
On May 3, 1973, the bodies of sisters Marguerite “Maggie” Jenkins and Mary Jenkins were discovered in a wooded area near mile marker 99.5 in Key Largo, Florida. The discovery was made by a local resident approximately 100 yards off U.S. Highway 1 and notified law enforcement. The sisters had been vacationing in the Florida Keys from New Jersey and were last seen hitchhiking. Investigators determined that 18-year-old Maggie and her little sister Mary, who was 16, were brutally beaten and both suffered apparent gunshot wounds.
Investigators collected forensic evidence from the scene and worked to identify the person responsible for their deaths. Despite extensive investigative efforts, the case remained unsolved for more than five decades.
In 2018, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Forensics developed a partial STR profile for an unknown from evidence collected at the crime scene. The partial profile was uploaded to (CODIS), but there was no match to a known individual.
In 2024, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), working with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, submitted evidence to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile from the provided evidence. FDLE used the profile in a forensic genetic genealogy search, developing new investigative leads in the case.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to David Allen Snyder as a potential contributor to the DNA evidence. Investigators obtained a reference DNA sample from a relative of Snyder and compared it to the DNA profile developed from evidence collected during the original investigation. The comparison assisted investigators in identifying David Allen Snyder as a suspect in the murders of Marguerite “Maggie” Jenkins and Mary Jenkins.
Investigators determined that Snyder lived at several locations in Key West between 1972 and 1974. Snyder died in Idaho in October 2008.
25-Year-Old DNA Samples Lead to 15-Year Sentence in Two Austin Cold Cases (CBS Austin – 9/02/26)
Austin Police announced that a man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after linking his DNA to two sexual assault cases that used to run cold.
Police credited advancements in DNA and forensic testing, which matched Michael Lance Gamez to the samples collected 25 years ago.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1983 John Doe (DNASolves – 9/04/26)
On November 25, 1983, the remains of an unidentified man were recovered from a waterway in the 2400 block of 10th Avenue North in unincorporated Lake Worth, Florida. Officers responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. The man was found in an advanced state of decomposition, and investigators were unable to identify him at the time. His death was later ruled an accidental drowning.
Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and became known as Palm Beach County John Doe (1983). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP812.
In April 2025, investigators with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office submitted evidence to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. PBSO’s forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Detectives traveled to California, where they interviewed a likely child of the unidentified man and collected a reference DNA sample. The reference DNA was compared to the DNA profile of the unknown man using KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing.
This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Archie Patterson Jr., born on August 15, 1940. Following the identification, next of kin were notified and the investigation was closed.
Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office & Oregon State Police Medical Examiner Division Team with Othram to Identify a 1988 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 9/04/26)
On July 2, 1988, the remains of an unidentified man were discovered in the Yamhill River near Dayton, Oregon. The body was found south of the Dayton Boat Landing in a decomposed state after having been submerged in the water.
Investigators estimated the man to be between 50 and 70 years old. He was described as an older white male with gray or partially gray hair, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 190 pounds. Authorities determined that he had been restrained with ligatures and weighted down with heavy objects before being deposited in the river. His death was ruled a homicide.
While investigators developed information during the initial years of the investigation that provided some indication of the victim’s possible identity, as well as information regarding who may have been responsible for his death, the man’s identification could not be confirmed. The case eventually went cold, and the victim remained unidentified for more than three decades. The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP10882.
In 2025, investigators with the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, working with the Oregon State Police Medical Examiner Division, submitted evidence from the case to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas, for advanced DNA testing.
Othram scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive SNP profile from the evidence. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile to conduct a genetic genealogy search, developing investigative leads that were provided to law enforcement.
2011 Cold Case Solved Through DNA and Investigative Genealogy (New Castle County Police Department – 9/04/26)
On June 5, 2011, the New Castle County Division of Police responded to a wooded area in Sellers Park, located off Edgemoor Road in Wilmington, after human remains and a human skull were discovered. Detectives from the New Castle County Police Criminal Investigations Unit were notified and assumed the investigation. As part of the investigation, the remains were turned over to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and a subsequent forensic anthropological analysis was conducted. It was determined that the partial skeletal remains belonged to a white female, estimated to be between 25 and 50 years old. Investigators entered the case information into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and extracted a DNA profile from the remains, which was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Despite these efforts, investigators were unable to identify the woman.
In 2019, the New Castle County Police Cold Case Squad reviewed the case, including the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the remains.
As the investigation continued, a three-dimensional scan of the skull was obtained and provided to a forensic art professor from George Mason University, who developed a facial reconstruction to assist in identifying the woman. Detectives pursued additional avenues of DNA analysis and identified the case as a candidate for Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG). Genealogy expert Detective Steve Smugeresky of the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland led the research. As investigative genealogy evolved, investigators reached out to people nationwide who voluntarily shared their ancestral information and DNA profiles.
In January 2026, Cold Case investigators were notified of a potential familial connection through a genealogical tree.
Investigators contacted a potential family member who provided information about a relative whose mausoleum and grave at Riverview Cemetery in Wilmington had been unlawfully accessed and desecrated in 2002. Remains similar to those discovered at Sellers Park had been removed from the grave.
With the support of her extended family, an exhumation was conducted, and a subsequent DNA comparison positively identified the woman as Hannah Graham Kleitz, a 29-year-old woman who died in 1907 from a medical illness.
On Thursday, August 27, 2026, members of Hannah Graham Kleitz’s extended family, the New Castle County Division of Police, Forensic Investigators from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and others involved in the investigation gathered at Riverview Cemetery in Wilmington to reunite Hannah’s remains and return them to her mausoleum. Mealey’s Funeral Home and Masonry and Concrete Inc, who both participated in Hannah’s reinterment in 2002, again voluntarily assisted with the exhumation and reunification of her remains.
How the Hair of a Museum Bear is Helping Tackle Wildlife Crime (BBC – 9/06/26)
A student has been using hair from a 120-year-old museum exhibit to help find new ways of solving wildlife crime.
The taxidermy bear, known as Boris, is a popular feature at the Museum of Chelmsford and is regarded as its unofficial mascot.
Hayden Leigh, a forensic science graduate at the University of Staffordshire, is using samples taken from his hair to help protect modern-day brown bears from illegal poaching.
His PhD research involves analysing Boris’s fur to compare how its characteristics could improve identification of animal hairs during investigations.
2026 NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development Webinar Series (NIJ – 9/08/26)
The National Institute of Justice will host a Forensic Science Research and Development webinar series the week of September 14 – 18, 2026. Over the course of five days, NIJ will present two-hour sessions featuring key NIJ-funded forensic science research. Each day will focus on a specific forensic discipline, including trace evidence, fire investigation, physics and pattern analysis, anthropology, pathology, seized drugs, toxicology, and biology, as well as research from graduate fellows.
New Professional Membership Association Launches to Support the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Community (IGGA – 9/08/26)
The Investigative Genetic Genealogy Association (IGGA), a new professional membership association, launched on June 22 to serve the growing, cross-disciplinary field of investigative genetic genealogy.
With nearly 300 new members (and growing), the association will provide structured support to the wide-range of professionals who make investigative genetic genealogy possible. The new organization is dedicated to advancing the field through education, cross-disciplinary community, and responsible professional practice.
Investigative genetic genealogy has proven to be a transformative tool for justice and identification — resolving cold cases, naming unidentified remains, and bringing answers to families. Critical to its success is collaboration across many disciplines: genetic genealogists who trace biological family lines, law enforcement investigators who guide casework, medical examiners and coroners who document the deceased, forensic laboratory scientists who process DNA evidence, and legal and policy professionals who help ensure the work is conducted responsibly and withstands scrutiny.
Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1977 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 9/08/26)
On December 29, 1977, the skeletal remains of an unidentified girl were discovered in a wooded area near the Firestone plant at 3001 Firestone Parkway in Wilson, North Carolina. Investigators responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. Skeletal remains and clothing were recovered from the scene. Because of the condition of the remains, the girl could not be visually identified. Her cause and manner of death were listed as undetermined, although investigators are treating the case as a homicide.
Despite a lengthy investigation, the girl could not be identified and the case went cold. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP6681.
In 2024, investigators with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, working with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Investigative Team and the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, submitted evidence to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided sample, then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive SNP profile for the girl.
The SNP profile was used by law enforcement in a forensic genetic gealogy search to develop new investigative leads. Using this new information, investigators conducted a follow-up investigation leading them to potential relatives of the girl.
Reference DNA samples were collected and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified girl using KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing at Othram. This investigation led to the positive identification of the girl, who is now known to be Cindy Marcell Blizzard. Cindy was 15 years old when she ran away from Monkton, Maryland, in the spring of 1977.
Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 2020 John Doe (DNASolves – 9/08/26)
On July 5, 2020, an unidentified man was found deceased on the front porch of a vacant residence in Birmingham, Alabama. The Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. The man was found unclothed and seated in a chair on the front porch of the residence in Birmingham’s East Lake neighborhood. His body was in a state of decomposition, and investigators found no identification, or personal property nearby.
Investigators estimated the man was between 60 and 70 years old. An examination later determined that his death was the result of natural causes due to hypertensive heart disease. Although investigators were able to determine how he died, they were unable to establish his identity.
Despite continued investigative efforts, the man could not be identified and he became known as Birmingham John Doe (2020). Details of the case were entered into NamUs as UP72429.
In 2025, the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile from the provided evidence. The DNA profile was used by Othram’s forensic genetic genealogy team to develop new investigative leads that were returned to investigators.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. A member of the man’s family provided a reference DNA sample which was used in a comparison via Othram’s KinSNP® testing. This investigation led to the positive identification of the John Doe, who is now known to be Willie Warren Tansil Jr., who was born in July of 1952.
STRmix Team Releases New Version of FaSTR™ DNA (STRmix – 9/09/26)
Improved artefact detection and filtering, the ability to group replicates, and the addition of a number of contributors (NoC) estimation tool for Y-STR profiles are among the features included in the newest version of FaSTR™ DNA, released today by the same team that developed breakthrough DNA forensic software STRmix™.
FaSTR™ DNA 1.3 combines an intuitive, user-friendly graphical interface with easily understandable and laboratory-customizable rules to rapidly analyze raw DNA data generated by capillary electrophoresis instruments and multiplex DNA profiling kits, and assign number of contributor (NoC) estimates.
Along with improvements introduced in the previous version of the software, such as known artefact detection and optional new viewing modes for scanpoint view and individual channel zoom, FaSTR™ DNA 1.3 features the ability to export a consensus reference profile, detect absence of primer flare in all sample types, add notes to EPGs and snips for PDF reports, create a subset of an analyzed project for better case management, and filter values in the peaks table columns.
FaSTR™ DNA 1.3 also introduces detection of cross channel artefacts, improved known artefact detection (to include positional artefacts), additional customization options for sample reports and exports, and additional pull-up detection information with the display of pull-up indicators for parent peaks.
“The development of FaSTR™ DNA 1.3 was driven through extensive engagement with the end user community to ensure the feature set is targeted to real world needs and is useful for casework operations,” says Dr Meng-Han Lin, Senior Scientist, STRmix Team.
FaSTR™ DNA works by applying a set of highly configurable rules to streamline the analysis of STR DNA profiles. In some instances, DNA analysis is more complex and automated heuristics (analysis rules) alone may not be able to resolve all profiles. Where the intervention of a DNA analyst is required, FaSTR™ DNA readily provides all details related to possible ambiguity of a peak (including stutter type, stutter ratio, composite stutter, pull-up proportion, N/shoulder peak, peak morphology, stochastic homozygous threshold, heterozygote imbalance, known artefact information etc.) and signals a requirement for the DNA analyst to make a decision. It then records and highlights changes made by the analyst.
The algorithms used for analysis in FaSTR™ DNA are conceptually adapted from the proven approach of OSIRIS analysis software (National Center for Biotechnology Information).
When used in conjunction with STRmix™ (which resolves mixed DNA profiles previously regarded as too complex or degraded to interpret) and DBLR™ (which enables users to calculate any kinship relationship conceivable, undertake fast database searches, visualize the value of DNA mixture evidence, and determine whether there is a common donor to profiles), FaSTR™ DNA delivers an end-to-end analysis, interpretation, and intelligence solution, completing the full workflow.
Prior to releasing FaSTR™ DNA 1.3, the STRmix Team completed additional compatibility testing of the software with .fsa files generated using the latest security patched data collection software provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific on the 3500 Genetic Analyzer and SeqStudio Flex Genetic Analyzer. The files tested were generated using the GlobalFiler™ and PowerPlex® Y23 kits respectively. These files can be successfully opened and analyzed in all commercially released versions of FaSTR™ DNA.
DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office Leverages Othram’s Identity Inference Technology to Identify a Serial Sex Assault & Kidnapping Suspect (DNASolves – 9/09/26)
On December 24, 2014, officers with the DeKalb County Police Department responded to a report of a sexual assault at a residence in the 3100 block of Evelyn Street in Tucker, Georgia. A 54-year-old woman reported that a masked man confronted her in her garage as she was leaving her home. The man bound her wrists, covered her mouth, and sexually assaulted her.
The woman was transported to a nearby hospital, where medical professionals performed a sexual assault examination and collected evidence. Using evidence from the sexual assault kit, investigators developed an STR DNA profile belonging to an unknown male. The profile was entered it into the CODIS, but there was no match.
On January 30, 2019, DeKalb County police responded to another sexual assault at an apartment complex in the 2100 block of Northlake Parkway in Tucker. A 35-year-old woman told officers that a masked man armed with a knife tied her up and sexually assaulted her. During the attack, she bit the man’s hand and drew blood. Investigators collected a blood sample from the scene and a single-source male STR DNA profile was developed entered it into CODIS. While the suspect was not identified, it was determined that the DNA recovered in the 2014 and 2019 sexual-assault cases originated from the same unidentified man.
On March 26, 2024, DeKalb County police responded to DeKalb County Fire Station 22 on Montreal Road in Tucker. A 67-year-old woman reported that a masked man armed with a box cutter had forced her into her vehicle as she left a nearby office building. The man bound her wrists, taped her mouth shut, and drove her around for hours while attempting withdraw money from ATMs. He also cut and burned the woman before releasing her.
Investigators recovered a black drawstring bag that the man had left in the vehicle. Evidence was collected. An STR DNA profile was developed and entered it into CODIS. Investigators determined that the DNA profile from the 2024 kidnapping matched the same unidentified man linked to the 2014 and 2019 sexual assaults. Despite the man being a serial attacker who committed multiple violent crimes against women, he could not be identified.
In September 2025, evidence related to the 2019 sexual assault was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists extracted DNA from the evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive SNP profile. The SNP profile was provided to law enforcement so that a forensic genetic genealogy search could be conducted.
During the course of the investigation, DeKalb County police responded to a fatal stabbing in the 3100 block of Evelyn Street in Tucker on July 3, 2026. Investigators observed a trail of blood leading to a vacant property across the street and subsequently encountered 45-year-old Jamal Toliaferro at the property. Police took Toliaferro into custody after additional evidence collected at the property connected him to the homicide. Toliaferro was charged with Malice Murder, Criminal Trespass, and Obstruction of Law Enforcement Officers in connection with the death of 30-year-old Kenyon Jeffries.
During the homicide investigation, police obtained a search warrant for Toliaferro’s DNA after investigators identified physical similarities between Toliaferro and descriptions provided by victims of the 2014, 2019, and 2024 attacks. Investigators also noted similarities among the homicide case and the unsolved attacks.
A DNA sample was collected from Toliaferro and submitted to Othram where scientists used KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing to compare it with the SNP profile developed from evidence in the 2019 sexual assault case. This comparison matched Toliaferro to the 2019 profile.
Investigators subsequently obtained an additional search warrant for a new DNA sample from Toliaferro. Using traditional STR DNA testing, investigators confirmed that Toliaferro’s STR DNA profile matched the STR profiles developed in the 2014 sexual assault, the 2019 sexual assault, and the 2024 kidnapping cases.
On September 8, 2026, the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office obtained arrest warrants charging Toliaferro in connection with the 2014, 2019, and 2024 cases. The charges include Rape, Kidnapping with Bodily Injury, Aggravated Assault, False Imprisonment, Armed Robbery, and Possession of a Knife During the Commission of a Felony, among other offenses. Toliaferro is being held without bond in the DeKalb County Jail.