Category Archives: DNA

But Lisette de Haan, the lawyer for Karbaat's family, asked the court to respect the Karbaat familys right to privacy and countered: "There is not the slightest evidence that Mr Karbaat was the donor."

Monique Wassenaar, one of the plaintiffs, claims he told her about the possibility he may have fathered children at the clinic himself and that she has this evidence in an email, according to Dutch media reports.

At the request of the families, court officials have already seized personal objects such as a toothbrush from his home. DNA tests on these would be the preferred option, but the court could order a test on one of his legitimate children or call for the body to be exhumed.

"As a mother, this judgement won't give me anything," said Esther Heij, one of the plaintiffs, after the hearing.

"But I see at home how my son's life has been affected. He was so angry when Karbaat died, and that he was taking this to his grave."

On paper, her son and daughter were conceived by the same sperm donor. "Tests are under way, but it's not clear if they really are brother and sister."

Ms Wassenaar, 36, who also attended the hearing, said Karbaat told her he was proud of his actions: "He [thought he] was in good health and intelligent, so he could share some of his genes with the world," she said. "He saw it as something noble. He had no concept of ethics and minimised the impact on the children.

Read the original here:
Families demand DNA tests on head of Dutch fertility clinic accused of using his own sperm to father children - Telegraph.co.uk

DNA evidence leads to confession of...

SPOKANE, Wash. - A man arrested last fall for taking a picture of a stranger inside a Spokane Valley park bathroom has now been linked to previously unsolved crimes, all because of a court-ordered DNA sample he gave after his conviction.

Garry Davis was arrested in September for an incident at Greenacres Park. A 17-year old using the restroom saw a flash and heard the click of a smartphone camera. She told her parents, who called 911. Davis was still at the scene and was arrested; he pleaded guilty to voyeurism.

As a result of that conviction, the court required Davis to give a sample of his DNA, which was entered into the database at the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab. His DNA matched blood left behind at previously unsolved sexual assaults.

"Because of the DNA being entered at that point, it was matched up against old DNA profiles," said Spokane County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Gregory. "It was found to match on two cases from 2008 and 2009."

In the 2008 case, deputies say a man broke into a home on Houk Road and began to fondle a sleeping woman. She screamed, and as he ran away, he stole her purse with cash and credit cards inside. On the way out, the man cut himself and left behind blood on a tarp outside the home. That blood was collected and submitted for evidence.

In 2009, a man assaulted a woman as she left the Denny's in Spokane Valley. He told the woman he would kill her if she answered her phone, grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground. He pinned her down and sexually assaulted her. She scratched him to fight him off and when she went to the hospital afterwards, investigators found blood on her sweatshirt. That blood was collected for evidence.

A forensic investigator linked DNA from both incidents to the sample Davis gave as the result of his conviction.

In addition to those crimes, court records detail other sexually-driven crimes:

-In 2005, investigators say Davis molested two young girls. -In 2009, court records say Davis "entered a Spokane Valley high school during school hours and went into the girls bathroom, where female students found him hiding in a stall." -In 2010, "a woman watched Garry masturbate in public as she walked past him -In 2010, "A Gonzaga University security guard contacted Garry after watching Garry follow a female student throughout a nearby neighborhood -In 2012, Garry was arrested after masturbating in front of two 14-year old girls in a public park -In 2014, a woman was using the restroom in a public park and when she exited the bathroom stall, Garry was standing there and tried touching her crotch, then began masturbating as he touched the woman's leg

Tuesday, investigators confronted Davis at his home on Long Road. At first, he said he did not remember the incidents, then he admitted chasing the woman outside of Denny's. According to court documents, Davis admitted "his intention was to have sexual intercourse with the woman but he stopped his attempt because the woman was screaming and moving around too much."

When asked about the 2008 incident in the woman's home, he said he went in to steal from her and admitted fondling the woman. Court records say "he admitted to entering other people's homes to do similar things."

He also admitted sexually assaulting several other women, in addition to the incidents listed above.

Davis was booked into the Spokane County Jail on four charges, including Attemped Rape in the Second Degree, Unlawful Imprisonment with Sexual Motivation and two counts of Indecent Liberties.

The Washington Department of Corrections says Davis is still under state supervision, stemming from the voyeurism charge.

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DNA evidence leads to confession of Spokane sexual predator - KXLY - KXLY Spokane

My dad died of cancer when I was 11 years old. I remember the moment he told me he was going to die. His skin cancer had spread. He was bald after courses of chemotherapy, and thinner than Id ever seen him. Despite his frail appearance, my young mind struggled to understand.

You wont be here? I asked.

I want to be, he answered, but I wont.

My heart goes out to my father when I think of how that conversation must have felt for him, especially now that I have my own kids. Like many who have lost a parent while they were young, I worry about the same thing happening to me. I have my fathers hooded eyelids, quick temper, and love of good jokes. I have the same flecked complexion. What else had he, and I, passed along?

The question came to a head a few years ago, when I bought a DNA test. I was working on a novel about Neanderthals, and the recent mapping of the Neanderthal genome had revealed that many people of European or Asian descent have between 1-4% Neanderthal DNA. I wanted to know my percentage. Having grown up thinking of Neanderthals as hairy, grunting, knuckle-draggers, scientists were now saying that they were much more like us than previously thought. Would my writing change if I knew Neanderthals were part of me? The knowledge might help me find the confidence required to write about people who lived so long ago.

My son, then nine years old, watched as I did the test. He was fascinated, rather than grossed out, as I spit into a plastic vial. He wanted to know: If I were part Neanderthal, did that mean he was too?

After I got the email with my resultsI am 2.5% NeanderthalI gave a high-pitched yowl and thumped my chest as I told my son the good news. But there was other information in the results that I didnt tell him. My personalized webpage included a long list of inherited conditions and genetic risk factors. Some were self-evident, such as the fact that I was prone to drinking more coffee than most. Others gave me pause. Did I want to click the link that would tell me if I had a variant for Alzheimers? I would already know if Parkinsons ran in the family, wouldnt I? I wasnt sure if I wanted to live with this kind of knowledge. I needed time to think it through.

And then, as though sensing my hesitation, my son asked, Can I take a DNA test? It was a question I wasnt prepared to answer.

Alongside the development of readily available DNA tests, the idea of genetic inheritance is changing rapidly. In school, I learned that genetics were about the traits my parents passed on to me. And when we have kids, we tend to think they are simply products of us. But scientific advances are painting an increasingly complex picture. As Andrew Solomon writes in his book Far From the Tree, our children carry throwback genes and recessive traits. Your kids are likely to have traits from people you have never met: a gene that was switched on your husbands long-lost great-uncle might could make an appearance in your child. Our environment can also affect how genes express themselves. And recent research on Holocaust survivors and their descendants suggests its possible (though not at all certain) that trauma can be passed on in our genes.

The idea of inheritance also reaches far beyond our biology. We pass on property, debts, obligations, and desires. And we also learn behaviors from our families. When our parents are quick to anger, or prone to fear, we internalize these tendencies and model them in our own behavior.

For the most part, I see the trauma of my past as a positive force. From an early age, I understood that life was short. I tend to take action, rather than spend years wondering if I should. But I also worry. I often find lumps or new spots on my skin. Though its good to pay attention to your health, I recognize that my worry is slightly beyond what is helpful. And after I had kids, my anxiety became more pronounced. What if I couldnt be there for them, even if I wanted to be?

Sometimes, when my son and I are playing together, I want to drop the Legos, put my arms around him, and not let goas if I might be able to fend off all the bad things that could happen to me, or to him. But its likely that those bad things are already inside us. With that knowledge comes the risk of worrying too much. I have genes and experiences that he does not. While I cant alter my biology, I have some influence over how I express my feelings. I dont want my anxiety to become his inheritance.

I said no to the DNA test for himbut I did click through to see the rest of my results. They didnt show any variants lurking, but I was glad I took the time to think it through first. I hope to pass that power on to my son. He can decide whether to take one when he is old enough to weigh the pros and cons of the test on his own terms.

In the meantime, I told him that we could assume hed inherited some of my Neanderthal DNA. He liked that idea and immediately went digging in his room for a sheepskin to wear as a cloak. I built a shelter out of blankets and pillows. We sat in the cave and talked strategy for the upcoming woolly mammoth hunt. He worried that it might be dangerous. I agreed there was a risk, but we were responsible for feeding our people. Thoughts of death shouldnt get in the way of living.

Claire Cameron is the author of The Last Neanderthal. Learn how to write for Quartz Ideas. We welcome your comments at ideas@qz.com.

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Taking a DNA test gave me a new perspective on my father's early deathand my son's future - Quartz

A majority of Americans use some sort of prescription medicine on a daily basis but how can you be certain the medicine will work? In some cases, the answer is in your DNA.

Robert Hnizdil has been coming to Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital for a while and credits the staff for keeping him alive. He's almost 90 years old but he's also on nine prescription medications after having heart problems.

"Are they working?" asked Hnizdil. "Are they not working? Maybe I shouldnt even be taking something."

Now he will be able to find all of that out. Abrazo is using a new DNA test called IDgenetix. Before this test it was literally trial and error.

"When we put a patient on a medication we have no idea how they're going to respond," said Tammy Querrey, the Director of Cardiovascular Centers of Excellence at Abrazo.

With the test, each cheek is swabbed for 60 seconds. Doctors will then get a DNA analysis to see how the patient's body will react to about 200 different medicines.

"We can definitely determine if they need a dose adjusted by this or if they should even be on the medication to begin with," said Querrey.

The test is painless and quick. The results should come back in two weeks.

Read the original here:
New DNA test could help prescribe more effective medications - ABC15 Arizona

A majority of Americans use some sort of prescription medicine on a daily basis but how can you be certain the medicine will work? In some cases, the answer is in your DNA.

Robert Hnizdil has been coming to Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital for a while and credits the staff for keeping him alive. He's almost 90 years old but he's also on nine prescription medications after having heart problems.

"Are they working?" asked Hnizdil. "Are they not working? Maybe I shouldnt even be taking something."

Now he will be able to find all of that out. Abrazo is using a new DNA test called IDgenetix. Before this test it was literally trial and error.

"When we put a patient on a medication we have no idea how they're going to respond," said Tammy Querrey, the Director of Cardiovascular Centers of Excellence at Abrazo.

With the test, each cheek is swabbed for 60 seconds. Doctors will then get a DNA analysis to see how the patient's body will react to about 200 different medicines.

"We can definitely determine if they need a dose adjusted by this or if they should even be on the medication to begin with," said Querrey.

The test is painless and quick. The results should come back in two weeks.

More:
New DNA test could help prescribe more effective medications ... - ABC15 Arizona

For nearly half a century, two questions have plagued Baltimore County police: Who murdered Sister Catherine Ann Cesnik and why?

Now, 47 years after the young nun's killing, investigators might get a break in the case.

Authorities exhumed the body of a priest -- one of several suspects in the murder -- to determine whether his DNA matches forensic evidence collected at the crime scene.

Maskell as a 30-year-old chaplain at Archbishop Keough High School in Southwest Baltimore.

"There's a lot of people who have come forward over the years who feel very strongly that he had something to do with it," police spokeswoman Elise Armacost told Fox News.

"In the interest of leaving no stone unturned, we felt it necessary to exhume the body and compare the DNA to crime scene evidence," Armacost said.

The remains of Father Joseph Maskell -- who died in 2001 -- were exhumed by Baltimore County police in February to extract material for a DNA profile.Armacost said investigators will compare the profile to "a very small amount of DNA" obtained at the crime scene and preserved for nearly 50 years. The results will take up to six more weeks, she said.

Cesnik's badly decomposed body was found on Jan. 3, 1970, in a field in Halethorpe, Md. The 26-year-old nun was reported missing on Nov. 7, 1969, from her residence in Baltimore City, according to police.

At the time of her disappearance, Cesnik was on a sabbatical from the Roman Catholic Church and was teaching atWestern High School in Baltimore City. Authorities believe Cesnik was taken in front of her residence as she was returning from a store and forced back into her car. They believe she was driven to the field where she was beaten. It's not known whether Cesnik, who died of blunt force trauma, was also sexually assaulted, according to law enforcement.

Cesnik's car was found in the early morning hours of Nov. 8, 1969, within walking distance of her residence -- leading police to believe the person or persons involved lived in the area.

The case -- the subject of the upcoming Netflix documentary, "The Keepers" -- was assigned to a new team of cold-case investigators in 2016 that felt exhuming Maskell's body was a "box that needed to be checked," said Armacost.

If a match, Armacost said it "would be a significant development" that "would tell us whether he was at the crime scene."

"We have one living suspect left. All the other suspects connected to this case have died. Absent a confession by the living suspect or a match of this DNA, were running out of ways to conclude the case," she said, stressing, "We'restill optimistic this case can be cleared."

Investigators never determined a motive in Cesnik's killing but have proved several theories over the years.

According to a 1994 report by the Baltimore Sun, a woman who claimed to have been sexually abused as a student at Archbishop Keough High School in Southwest Baltimore told police that a priest -- later identified as Maskell -- had taken her to see the Cesnik's remains long before the hunters discovered it. Cesnik was a teacher at the school at the time the woman attended and Maskell worked there as a 30-year-old chaplain.

The woman said another man she met in the priest's office told her that he had killed Cesnik because the woman had told the nun about the abuse.

"The theory that she was killed because she knew something about abuse in the Roman Catholic church is one theory we have pursued and continue to pursue," said Armacost. "We have never been able to conclusively prove thats why she was killed."

Police are also probing whether Cesnik fell victim to a serial killer -- one who might have been connected to the murders of other young women from the same area that year.

Joyce Helen Malecki, 20, was reported missing three days after Cesnik disappeared and her body was found days later near the Little Patuxent River in Fort Meade. Pamela Lynn Conyers, 16, also from Maryland, was found raped and murdered in October 1970 in a case that remains unsolved.

Cristina Corbin is a Fox News reporter based in New York. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaCorbin.

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A dead priest's DNA could solve 1970 cold-case murder of nun - Fox News

The Main Squeeze plays Revelry Room tonight.

The Main Squeeze plays Revelry Room tonight.

Photo by Contributed Photo /Times Free Press.

What: The Main Squeeze with Devon Gilfillian

Where: Revelry Room, 41 Station St.

When: 8 p.m. today, May 11

Admission: $15

For more information: 423-521-2929

After forming in 2010 as a party band at Indiana University, The Main Squeeze was selling out clubs within a few months. Their live performances even caught the interest of legendary producer Randy Jackson, who produced their album "Mind Your Head."

Now based in Los Angeles, the five-piece band is made up of Corey Frye, vocals; Max Newman, guitar; Ben Silverstein, keyboards; Rob Walker, bass; and Reuben Gingrich, drums.

Their newest album, "Without a Sound," illustrates their increasing musical maturity and creativity.

The funk band stops at Revelry Room tonight as part of its Without a Sound Tour.

The Main Squeeze spent several years building its foundation after being championed by Jackson.

They played Red Rocks, shared stages with The Roots, Aloe Blacc, Jane's Addiction, Umphrey's McGee and Trombone Shorty. They performed at Bonnaroo, Electric Forest and High Sierra festivals.

Their music is a blend of soul and hip-hop, funk with rock. Billboard sums their sound with: "Funk runs deep in their DNA."

"We are devoted to making great music for people to get lost in, to feel real emotion and love, and also to dance and enjoy life," says Newman.

"And it's only just the beginning."

The rest is here:
The Main Squeeze: 'Funk Runs In their DNA' - Chattanooga Times Free Press

The use of advanced DNA collection technology and an alleged rape in Lancaster in March led to the arrest of an Athens County man Monday, who is accused of committing three sexual assaults, including two rapes, in uptown Athens over the course of 10 years.

Shawn J. Lawson, Jr., 26, was arrested at the Athens County Courthouse following a lengthy investigation by the Athens Police Department with assistance from the Ohio Attorney Generals Office, Athens County Prosecutors Office, Athens County Major Crimes Unit, the Lancaster Police Department and the FBI. Documents indicate Lawsons last known address was Hawks Nest Road, just off Old Rt. 33 southeast of Athens.

What youre seeing today is the result of some very good police work over an extended period of time, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the County Prosecutors Office. He praised Athens Police for their work and the cooperative effort between agencies.

Lawson is being held on a $3 million bond with no 10 percent allowed at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail in Nelsonville on 11 felony charges including rape, attempted rape, kidnapping, felonious assault and aggravated burglary.

He pleaded not guilty to those charges Tuesday afternoon with his attorney, Public Defender Doug Francis, saying Lawson looks forward to clearing his name, and denies these allegations.

Francis informed the court that prosecutors have raised the question of a conflict of interest in Lawson being represented by the Public Defenders office, though he did not elaborate on the alleged conflict.

He also told the court that Lawson has a wife and a daughter and another child on the way.

Lawsons family expressed words of support as he was led out of the courtroom, encouraging him to hang in there and to not let them get you down.

Athens Police have been hunting for what they described as a serial rapist since at least January 2016. They suspected him of being involved in three sexual assaults in uptown Athens between 2006 and 2015. Lawsons grand jury indictment from Monday states that the crimes occurred against three separate victims on June 20, 2015; Dec. 12, 2015; and June 11, 2006.

Lawson would have been 15 years old at the time of the first incident in June 2006, though Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said Tuesday the charges against Lawson for that incident do not carry any juvenile specifications.

The assaults all occurred under similar circumstances, police have said, when the female victims, all college-aged, were walking home alone from the uptown area early in the morning.

AN INITIATIVE BEGUN IN 2012 by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine for the state to test old rape kits for DNA going back 20 years led to a match between the 2006 case and the June 2015 case, Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said at Tuesdays press conference.

In the June 2015 case, APD Lt. Jeff McCall used a technique called touch DNA to collect evidence, where DNA can be obtained from areas on the victims body that a perpetrator touched, according to Pyle.

Chief Pyle praised McCall for thinking to use touch DNA testing in that case, which he said led to a later match with the December 2015 case, and, combined with DeWines initiative, a match to the June 2006 case.

I want to personally thank all the assisting agencies, Pyle said. But for Lt. McCalls obtaining that touch DNA evidence in the June 2015 case, we would not have identified that we did have a serial rape case to investigate. I believe the Athens community should recognize Lt. McCall for his efforts.

DeWine said the combination of his offices initiative, the touch DNA testing, and a phenotype that was contracted by the APD to be developed based on the suspects DNA all contributed to the investigations resolution.

That phenotype, developed by Parabon NanoLabs in Florida, created a composite of the suspect, with a DNA snapshot that determined the odds for certain physical features such as skin color, eye color, hair color, freckles and ancestry. It led to more than 150 tips and around 30 people being called into the APD for DNA samples, McCall said.

Asked what type of accuracy DNA matching has, DeWine said, It either matches or it doesnt.

Blackburn said that Lancaster Police were investigating a rape case with a known suspect from March 12, 2017, when the DNA collected in that case matched the DNA collected in the Athens cases.

An Athens County Grand Jury indicted Lawson Monday morning, and two search warrants were executed, Blackburn said.

Blackburn said that Lawson was enrolled in the Prosecutors Office diversion program after being arrested for OVI (drunk-driving) by the Ohio State Highway Patrol in April 2016 and charged with a felony for having a firearm in his vehicle while driving it intoxicated.

The Highway Patrol did not obtain a DNA sample from Lawson at the time of that arrest, Blackburn said. He also noted that Lawson has a juvenile record that occurred prior to the rape in 2006 for which he is charged, though Blackburn could not provide details because Lawson was a juvenile at the time.

Blackburn said that on Monday his office called Lawson in for a random diversion drug test that wasnt so random and then arrested him at their offices in the Athens County Courthouse.

The Lancaster rape is not included in the current indictment against Lawson in Athens County, Blackburn said, adding that he expects that additional charges will be filed. He said the victims have all been updated on the status of the case, and encouraged any other potential victims to contact the APDs Lt. McCall at 740-592-3316.

Lt. McCall confirmed that Lawson attended Alexander Local School District in Athens County. Blackburn said that Lawson has been employed as a tree-trimmer, and due to the transient nature of that work, authorities suspect there may be victims in other counties.

DEWINE SAID THAT THROUGH his offices initiative, state crime labs have tested more than 13,000 old rape kids and either have found matches with known suspects or matches between cases with unknown suspects on 38 percent of them.

He said that this has allowed law enforcement to draw connections between rapes cases over an extended period of time.

What you see is that there is a large number of serial rapists in there, he said. It reinforces frankly what every prosecutor knows intuitively, and what every police department, police officer and sheriffs deputy knows, and thats that many times rapists are serial rapists.

DeWine said the DNA database can be crosschecked against a national DNA database with 14 million people.

Read the original:
Advanced DNA science cracks rape case - Athens NEWS

The use of advanced DNA collection technology and an alleged rape in Lancaster in March led to the arrest of an Athens County man Monday, who is accused of committing three sexual assaults, including two rapes, in uptown Athens over the course of 10 years.

Shawn J. Lawson, Jr., 26, was arrested at the Athens County Courthouse following a lengthy investigation by the Athens Police Department with assistance from the Ohio Attorney Generals Office, Athens County Prosecutors Office, Athens County Major Crimes Unit, the Lancaster Police Department and the FBI. Documents indicate Lawsons last known address was Hawks Nest Road, just off Old Rt. 33 southeast of Athens.

What youre seeing today is the result of some very good police work over an extended period of time, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the County Prosecutors Office. He praised Athens Police for their work and the cooperative effort between agencies.

Lawson is being held on a $3 million bond with no 10 percent allowed at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail in Nelsonville on 11 felony charges including rape, attempted rape, kidnapping, felonious assault and aggravated burglary.

He pleaded not guilty to those charges Tuesday afternoon with his attorney, Public Defender Doug Francis, saying Lawson looks forward to clearing his name, and denies these allegations.

Francis informed the court that prosecutors have raised the question of a conflict of interest in Lawson being represented by the Public Defenders office, though he did not elaborate on the alleged conflict.

He also told the court that Lawson has a wife and a daughter and another child on the way.

Lawsons family expressed words of support as he was led out of the courtroom, encouraging him to hang in there and to not let them get you down.

Athens Police have been hunting for what they described as a serial rapist since at least January 2016. They suspected him of being involved in three sexual assaults in uptown Athens between 2006 and 2015. Lawsons grand jury indictment from Monday states that the crimes occurred against three separate victims on June 20, 2015; Dec. 12, 2015; and June 11, 2006.

Lawson would have been 15 years old at the time of the first incident in June 2006, though Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said Tuesday the charges against Lawson for that incident do not carry any juvenile specifications.

The assaults all occurred under similar circumstances, police have said, when the female victims, all college-aged, were walking home alone from the uptown area early in the morning.

AN INITIATIVE BEGUN IN 2012 by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine for the state to test old rape kits for DNA going back 20 years led to a match between the 2006 case and the June 2015 case, Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said at Tuesdays press conference.

In the June 2015 case, APD Lt. Jeff McCall used a technique called touch DNA to collect evidence, where DNA can be obtained from areas on the victims body that a perpetrator touched, according to Pyle.

Chief Pyle praised McCall for thinking to use touch DNA testing in that case, which he said led to a later match with the December 2015 case, and, combined with DeWines initiative, a match to the June 2006 case.

I want to personally thank all the assisting agencies, Pyle said. But for Lt. McCalls obtaining that touch DNA evidence in the June 2015 case, we would not have identified that we did have a serial rape case to investigate. I believe the Athens community should recognize Lt. McCall for his efforts.

DeWine said the combination of his offices initiative, the touch DNA testing, and a phenotype that was contracted by the APD to be developed based on the suspects DNA all contributed to the investigations resolution.

That phenotype, developed by Parabon NanoLabs in Florida, created a composite of the suspect, with a DNA snapshot that determined the odds for certain physical features such as skin color, eye color, hair color, freckles and ancestry. It led to more than 150 tips and around 30 people being called into the APD for DNA samples, McCall said.

Asked what type of accuracy DNA matching has, DeWine said, It either matches or it doesnt.

Blackburn said that Lancaster Police were investigating a rape case with a known suspect from March 12, 2017, when the DNA collected in that case matched the DNA collected in the Athens cases.

An Athens County Grand Jury indicted Lawson Monday morning, and two search warrants were executed, Blackburn said.

Blackburn said that Lawson was enrolled in the Prosecutors Office diversion program after being arrested for OVI (drunk-driving) by the Ohio State Highway Patrol in April 2016 and charged with a felony for having a firearm in his vehicle while driving it intoxicated.

The Highway Patrol did not obtain a DNA sample from Lawson at the time of that arrest, Blackburn said. He also noted that Lawson has a juvenile record that occurred prior to the rape in 2006 for which he is charged, though Blackburn could not provide details because Lawson was a juvenile at the time.

Blackburn said that on Monday his office called Lawson in for a random diversion drug test that wasnt so random and then arrested him at their offices in the Athens County Courthouse.

The Lancaster rape is not included in the current indictment against Lawson in Athens County, Blackburn said, adding that he expects that additional charges will be filed. He said the victims have all been updated on the status of the case, and encouraged any other potential victims to contact the APDs Lt. McCall at 740-592-3316.

Lt. McCall confirmed that Lawson attended Alexander Local School District in Athens County. Blackburn said that Lawson has been employed as a tree-trimmer, and due to the transient nature of that work, authorities suspect there may be victims in other counties.

DEWINE SAID THAT THROUGH his offices initiative, state crime labs have tested more than 13,000 old rape kids and either have found matches with known suspects or matches between cases with unknown suspects on 38 percent of them.

He said that this has allowed law enforcement to draw connections between rapes cases over an extended period of time.

What you see is that there is a large number of serial rapists in there, he said. It reinforces frankly what every prosecutor knows intuitively, and what every police department, police officer and sheriffs deputy knows, and thats that many times rapists are serial rapists.

DeWine said the DNA database can be crosschecked against a national DNA database with 14 million people.

Read more:
Advanced DNA science cracks rape case | Local News ... - Athens NEWS

posted at 4:41 pm on May 10, 2017 by Jazz Shaw

Theres some additional bad news out there for the party of science (as the Democrats have taken to calling themselves) and particularly for transgender advocates. But even if you have no interest in such social justice topics, a new study published by geneticists in Israel is still pretty fascinating. The Liberty Council has a report this week on new research material coming from Israels Weizmann Institute of Science, where scientists have undertaken an exhaustive study of genetic differences between the two genders which go far beyond just whats found in their 23rd chromosomal pair or what sorts of genitalia they display externally. And some of this research could have far reaching implications in terms of fighting diseases and solving other medical mysteries on top of sorting out this gender vs sex question which liberals keep trying to push.

A recent study released from Israels Weizmann Institute of Science refutes propaganda from LGBT activists who detach gender completely from sex and promote that men can become so-called women by merely identifying as female, and vice-versa.

Professor Shmuel Pietrokovski and Dr. Moran Gershoni, both researchers from the Weizmann Institutes Molecular Genetics Department, looked closely at around 20,000 protein-coding genes, sorting them by sex and searching for differences in expression in each tissue. They eventually identified around 6,500 genes with activity that was biased toward one sex or the other in at least one tissue, adding to the already major biological differences between men and women.

You can access the study here in .pdf form and browse through it. They discovered all manner of fascinating things, some of which seem obvious in retrospect while others are quite surprising. They identified specific genes which are directly associated with hair growth in skin cells. These genes are far more widespread in men than women, showing up in different places. (The result of that should be obvious.) One of the more surprising developments (at least to me) came in the area of mammary glands. Both males and females have all of the equipment to support lactation, but its almost never seen in men. The study identified specific genes in men which apparently turn off that process since its not needed. Some others would be easier to predict, such as higher levels of muscle building genes in men as opposed to higher levels of genes which are related to fat storage in women. The list goes on.

But mostly, this is just one more brick in the wall for the folks who seem to insist on listening to the scientists except when its inconvenient to do so. Whenever this debate comes up, someone inevitably tries to point to a single study done years ago hinting that the brain waves of transgender people match those of people of the opposite sex. But further research showed that those results couldnt be reliably repeated under laboratory conditions. To boot, experts in the field have already admitted that they cant tell a male brain from a female brain in those scans to begin with. By comparison, any deep dive into readily measurable and repeatable genetic studies shows the true nature of our species, as well as the striking and generally wonderful difference between our two genders which are established basically at the moment of conception.

The rest is here:
Shocking new DNA study reveals that human beings are divided into two genders! - Hot Air