A bail hearing has offered a glimpse into how police gather DNA evidence used to link suspects to specific crimes.

In this case, DNA was used to allegedly connect a single suspect to two dated burglaries.

The Crowns case, Id suggest, is strong given the DNA evidence, Crown attorney Garry Rainnie said in Brandon court recently as he described the investigations.

Rainnies courtroom account offers a little insight into how city police use DNA to solve crimes. Police generally decline to describe investigation techniques.

On Oct. 21, 2007, around 4:30 a.m., someone broke into a home on Buttercup Bay as the resident and a number of party guests slept.

As the burglar dismantled a light fixture outside the kitchen window, he cut himself and left blood on the light, window frame and backsplash in the kitchen.

From inside the home, the intruder swiped a number of items that included some cash, cigarettes and a jacket that had the keys to a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am in the pocket.

The burglar then entered the parked car and took some more cash, although he left a small amount of blood behind.

Police took blood samples from the light fixture glass, the window frame and the backsplash.

Those were sent to an RCMP lab and the resulting DNA profiles were stored in the national DNA databank.

Link:
DNA key to burglary charges