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!
FBI Laboratory Eliminates DNA-Processing Backlog (FBI.gov – 9/18/2026)
A team of laboratory, data-management, and biometric examination experts within the FBI Laboratory recently used a combination of administrative and financial prowess, strategic cross-training, and innovation to resolve a years-long DNA-processing backlog, shrinking it from an all-time high of about 1.81 million samples to zero.
The FBI Laboratory’s Federal DNA Database Unit (FDDU) exists to intake and process DNA samples from U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) agencies and other federal law enforcement agencies, generate genetic profiles from these samples, quality check these profiles, and add them to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). This national database contains genetic profiles from crime scenes contributed by federal, state, and local forensic laboratories.
Historically, this tasking required the unit to turn around about 100,000 samples received from DOJ and other federal law enforcement agencies each year. But a federal regulation change that happened to coincide with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused the unit’s workload to surge, eventually climbing to well over a million unprocessed samples.
Undeterred, FDDU completely eliminated the backlog in August 2026.
Forensics Experts Build Database of Dog DNA to Help Solve Crimes (Forensic – 9/28/2026)
Scientists from King’s College London and the Royal Veterinary College are building a database of the DNA of the most common dogs breeds. The tool can be used to crack crimes, by helping to identify the type of dog that might have been present at a crime scene.
The database has mapped out DNA from Labradors, Dachshunds, Cocker Spaniels, Pugs and many more. Dogs may be directly involved in a crime, when attacking humans or livestock, but are also frequently bystanders to illegality and can lead police to a human suspect. They may leave their hairs or saliva at a crime scene, or on a victim, which can be analysed for evidence.
Scientists compare DNA found during police investigations with samples from dogs they suspect are present at a crime. They can also use the information to infer the likely breed or dog type.
‘Unknown Wanderer’ Identified, Possible Suspect in Tylenol Murders (Forensic – 9/28/2026)
For nearly four decades, he was known only as the Unknown Wanderer. Now, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) announced the identity of the man who died inside a Boise Catholic church in December 1982 — and revealed that the same case has identified a possible connection in one of the most infamous unsolved crimes in American history: the 1982 Tylenol poisonings.
ACSO investigators have identified the man as Dr. Mathew Betkouski.
DNA from 1982 Fingerprint Booking Card Solves Cold Case (Forensic – 9/28/2026)
Investigators in Montana, working with forensic experts, have solved the 1978 homicide of 16-year-old Corina Contreraz by analyzing DNA from an unlikely source: a fingerprint card collected in 1982 upon the suspect’s arrest on unrelated charges.
In fact, the suspect, Angelo J. Stallsmith Sr., was not named in the original investigation. He was not considered a suspect until genetic genealogy led investigators down his family tree.
DNA Doe Project identifies John Doe found in Arizona in 1980 (DNA Doe Project – 9/28/26)
Forty-six years after his skeletal remains were found in Flagstaff, DNA Doe Project and its law enforcement partners have identified the man formerly known as Flagstaff Kowboy John Doe. While his name is not being released, the man was a resident of Arizona, born in 1881. Though he was not originally from there, he was known to be living in Arizona at the time of his disappearance in 1956, twenty-four years before his remains were discovered.
In July 1980, hikers discovered the partial skeletal remains of a man in Flagstaff, Arizona. He was discovered under some fallen trees in a wooded area of the city, near the Kowboy Kountry Club. Investigators estimated the man had been dead for more than 20 years at the time of the discovery, based on the style of his clothing and items found with his body. His remains showed evidence of a gunshot wound and a rusted revolver was found with his body.
Decades later, the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office brought this case to DNA Doe Project, whose expert investigative genetic genealogists work pro bono to help law enforcement agencies identify John and Jane Does.
A team from DNA Doe Project began work on this case in early 2026 and quickly established that the unidentified man had deep roots in the South, as well as a recent ancestor from England. Using Cornish parish records and 19th-century newspaper articles, they were able to zero in on a Mormon family that had settled in the Idaho Territory. Shortly afterwards, they made a major breakthrough.
“This family had a son who was born nearly a century before Flagstaff Kowboy John Doe was discovered,” said Rebecca Somerhalder, the primary team leader for the case. “But we soon found evidence that he had disappeared in 1956 and that his family had searched for him to no avail.”
Newspaper articles revealed that the man’s grandchildren had searched for him throughout the 50s and 60s, with no clue as to his whereabouts. With both the genetic and circumstantial evidence lining up, DNA Doe Project presented him as a candidate to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, after which investigators reached out to his surviving family. Further DNA testing later confirmed that this man was indeed Flagstaff Kowboy John Doe. During the confirmation process, investigators from Coconino County spoke with some of the relatives who had searched for their missing grandfather all those years ago; after seventy years, they finally have some answers.
DNA Doe Project is grateful to the organizations and individuals whose work made this identification possible: the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, which entrusted us with the case; the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, for their work to confirm this identification; Bode Technology and Astrea Forensics for the lab work; GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA for providing access to their databases; the donors who generously supported our mission; and DNA Doe Project’s dedicated volunteer investigative genetic genealogists, who work tirelessly to help return John and Jane Does to their families and communities.
Man on Death Row for Decades Released on Bail After DNA Tests Show No Match to Him (ABCNews – 9/28/26)
A Utah judge on Monday ordered a 71-year-old man who spent decades on death row for a 1985 killing to be released on bail, despite objections from the victim’s family, after prosecutors said newly analyzed DNA evidence did not match him.
Douglas Stewart Carter was sentenced to death that same year after a jury found him guilty of murdering Eva Olesen, an aunt of the Provo police chief at the time.
The state Supreme Court ordered a new trial last year, citing misconduct by investigators. Carter has maintained his innocence and says a signed confession was coerced.
No physical evidence linked him to the crime scene, but the jury convicted Carter, a Black man, based on the confession and two witnesses who said he bragged about killing Olesen, who was white. Those witnesses later recanted.
A DNA analysis received Sept. 22 excluded Carter as a possible match to blood found on a doorknob and genetic material recovered from the handle of a knife used to stab Olesen, who was also shot.
Othram Acquires Sorenson Forensics to Support Investigations from Day One (PR Web – 9/29/26)
Othram today announced that Sorenson Forensics has joined the company and will operate through a wholly owned subsidiary. The integration brings evidence assessment, biological screening, traditional forensic DNA testing, and Othram’s forensic genomics and genetic genealogy capabilities under common ownership.
Decisions about which evidence to screen and how to test it can shape an investigation’s options. Bringing these capabilities together allows Othram to help agencies develop coordinated testing strategies from the beginning of a case, considering both immediate needs and the potential for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) testing and forensic genetic genealogy. That planning is particularly important when evidence is limited.
“Early decisions about what evidence to screen and how to test it can shape our ability to identify victims and suspects and help solve cases,” said David Mittelman, Othram CEO. “With the addition of Sorenson Forensics, agencies can engage Othram at the beginning of an investigation, and we can build a testing strategy focused on getting those answers.”
Sorenson Forensics will retain its Draper, Utah location and continue operating with the same team, accreditation, and licensing. Its established capabilities in biological screening, traditional forensic DNA analysis, case consultation, and expert testimony expand Othram’s support for both current investigations and longstanding unsolved cases.
The integration builds on the partnership announced in February 2023, which connected Sorenson customers with Othram’s forensic genetic genealogy services and established a shared goal of coordinating traditional forensic DNA testing with Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® while conserving evidence. Common ownership enables closer coordination of laboratory operations, scientific expertise, and case support in advancing that work.
Othram has worked with local, state, federal, and international partners to apply forensic genetic genealogy in thousands of investigations involving unidentified human remains, missing persons, and violent crimes. The addition of Sorenson Forensics extends that work to earlier stages of evidence assessment and testing, supporting Othram’s mission to make advanced forensic science accessible to more agencies and bring answers to victims, survivors, and families.
Promega Launches STR System that Minimizes Stutter Artifacts in DNA Analysis (Forensic – 9/30/26)
Promega Corporation has launched Paradyme 27GY STR System, the first commercially available short tandem repeat (STR) analysis kit to include the company’s Reduced-Stutter Polymerase (RSP). This novel enzyme, engineered by Promega, significantly reduces the most common type of confounding artifact in forensic DNA analysis. The result is an 8-fold reduction in stutter signal intensity, producing clearer electropherograms, improving confidence in number-of-contributors (NoC) determination, and enhancing detection of minor contributors in mixed samples. Ultimately, this leads to faster mixture interpretation with higher confidence and the ability to interpret more complex mixtures, helping labs solve more cases and reduce backlogs.
“This is the first forensic STR analysis kit to virtually eliminate stutter at its source,” says Tim Kupferschmid, Sr. Director of Genetic Identity, Promega Corporation. “By simplifying mixture deconvolution, Paradyme 27GY STR System will fundamentally change what analysts can deliver to investigators.”
The kit is designed for use with Spectrum CE System and Spectrum Compact CE System. Promega is the first manufacturer to develop and launch a capillary electrophoresis instrument capable of 8-dye STR analysis.
Delaware to Hold First Missing Persons Day (Forensic – 9/30/26)
The Delaware Division of Forensic Science, in partnership with New Castle County Police, Wilmington Police and the Delaware State Police, will host the state’s first Missing and Unidentified Persons Day on October 24.
This free event is for all families and friends affected by the disappearance of a loved one. Participants can meet with agencies working to locate missing people, identify unknown remains, learn about available resources, and connect with advocates and other families.
“For every family with a missing loved one, not knowing can bring its own kind of grief — and often no single agency can answer that question alone. By bringing together DNA testing, forensic records, and the people willing to sit with a family and take down every detail of a case gone cold, this event could help get families closer to the answers they’ve been waiting years to hear,” said John Evans, director of the Delaware Division of Forensic Science.
Operation ID Founder Awarded 2026 ‘Genius Grant’ (Forensic – 9/30/26)
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has named Texas State University’s Kate Spradley, Ph.D., one of the foundation’s 20 fellows selected for 2026.
The honor, often referred to as a “Genius Grant,” comes with an $800,000 prize, paid over five years that fellows can spend however they choose.
Spradley, a professor of anthropology with the Forensic Anthropology Center (FACTS) at TXST, was selected for her work as founder and director of Operation ID, a humanitarian initiative dedicated to facilitating the identification and repatriation of unidentified human remains found along or in close proximity to the Texas border through community outreach, scientific analysis and collaboration with governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Arkansas Launches Rapid DNA Technology at Booking Stations (Forensic – 9/30/26)
The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory (ASCL) has officially launched Rapid DNA technology at participating booking stations, making Arkansas the third state in the nation to deploy this cutting-edge law enforcement capability.
“Arkansas is proud to be the third state in the entire nation to offer Rapid DNA technology to our law enforcement – and excited for the difference this will make in public safety,” said Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “I’m grateful to all our federal, state, and local partners for their work to support this project and keep Arkansans safe.”
Rapid DNA is a fully automated process that generates a DNA profile from a qualifying arrestee sample in approximately 90 minutes. During this initial rollout, resulting profiles are uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and searched first against crime-scene profiles connected to public-safety cases. A secondary search against all eligible crime-scene profiles occurs within 24 hours. If a profile matches crime-scene evidence, both booking and investigating agencies are immediately notified.
NJ Professor Named Forensic Science Educator of the Year (Forensic – 9/30/26)
New Jersey Institute of Technology forensic scientist Sara C. Zapico has been named the 2026 Senator John Cornyn III National Higher Education Forensic Science Educator of the Year by the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations, recognizing her contributions to forensic science education.
Surrounded by her students and colleagues from NJIT’s Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Zapico received the honor Friday, Sept. 25, during a ceremony in Tiernan Hall—home to the university’s forensic science laboratories.
The award was presented as part of National Forensic Science Week by Britton Morin, director of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Forensic Science Laboratory.