Category Archives: DNA

The rape and brutal murder of an elderly woman found stabbed to death in her home in San Diego, California, 25 years ago has finally been solved, thanks to cutting-edge DNA testing.

San Diego law enforcement announced the major break Friday in the quarter-century-old cold case killing of Angela Kleinsorge, 84. Her killer was Jeffrey Falls, a man who lived across the street from the victim,according to DNA testing and investigators.

'We Have Our Answer': Daughter of 1992 Murder Victim

"To learn that it had been a neighbor -- it was just horrifying to us," said the victim's daughter, Hedy Kleinsorge, at a press conference Friday.

Falls is no longer alive; he was killed in a 2006 crash. However, a rare procedure known as familial DNA testing helped San Diego law enforcement zero in on him as the killer.

The cold case finally began to crack in July 2016 when this type of advanced science came into the equation,according to authorities.

Cold Case Homicide Solved: DA Dumanis

At that time last summer, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) and the San Diego District Attorneys Office submitted the cold case to the Department of Justice with a request for familial DNA testing, a process that allows investigators to widen their scope when searching offender databases.

Through the process, investigators may be able to identify people who are likely to be close relatives of a person who may have committed a crime.

The familial DNA results from this case matched a convicted offender who was dead, according to the DAs office.The results showed there was a high likelihood that a brother of that convict was the man who killed Kleinsorge.

As investigators researched this break in the case, they discovered the convict had two brothers: one who was alive, and another -- Falls, 42 -- who was killed in a 2006 motorcycle accident.

SDPD detectives were able to give the living brother a DNA test and he was eliminated as a suspect in the cold case. After that, it was time to test Falls.

The DAs office said the coroner gave tissue samples from Falls to SDPD Lab Criminalist Adam Dutra. The crime lab obtained a partial DNA profile from Falls tissue.

At this point, the breakthrough nearly 25 years in the making unfolded.

The DAs office said Falls DNA matched a sample collected at the scene of Kleinsorges slaying, pointing to him as her killer.

The likelihood ratio for kinship between the crime scene sample and Falls is in the quadrillions, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said at the news conference.

Finally, the case had been solved.

'Relentless Pursuit of Justice': SDPD Chief on Solving Cold Case

The Crime:

On Feb. 29, 1992, Kleinsorge was found dead in her home at 5600 Gaines Street, near Linda Vista Road.

Hedy, who called her mother every day to check on her, had spoken to her the day before the murder. On the morning of Feb. 29, Hedy called her mother three times, but got no answer.

"She knew something was wrong," said SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman.

Hedy rushed over to her mother's home. Immediately, she noticed something was amiss when she saw the garage light on and the blinds shuttered.

When Hedy went inside the house, she made the grisly discovery: her mother's body lay lifeless, on the floor, beside her bed.

Kleinsorge had been sexually assaulted and stabbed several times on her neck. According to investigators, the killer entered Kleinsorges home through a window and attacked her.

For decades, Kleinsorges murder remained unsolved. At the time, authorities said regular DNA testing did not match anyone in a statewide offender database.

Who Was Angela Kleinsorge?

Closure for the Kleinsorge Family:

District Attorney Dumanis and SDPD Chief Zimmerman led Friday's press conference, joined by a slew of other top-level homicide investigators, cold case detectives and forensics experts.

Zimmerman praised the tireless work of cold case investigators, including now retired Reserve Detective Holly Erwin.

This case, sat idle for over two decades. It would still be unsolved if it wasnt for the tenacious and persistent efforts of now retired detective, Holly Erwin, who became a reserve detective in order to continue working this case and also from our crime lab, Adam Dutra, said Zimmerman.

Their relentless pursuit of justice will now allow the Kleinsorge family to close a very painful, yet important chapter in their family history, the chief continued.

Dumanis said the familial DNA testing results have brought a measure of closure to the Kleinsorge family. Although a rare procedure, Dumanis touted the science as a way to propel an investigation forward and solve more crimes.

Kleinsorges surviving daughter, Hedy, and son, Roland Kleinsorge, attended Friday's announcement.

Hedy spoke about what this means for her family, pained for so long by her mother's murder.

"When you lose a loved one to a brutal and violent act, and theres no one charged with the crime, you often wonder if the criminal wakes up in the morning, thinks that he got away with murder or if he even gives it a second thought," said Hedy. "After 25 years, we have our answer. While we have only partial closure, at least we know Mr. Falls no longer thinks he got away with the rape and murder of our mother."

She thanked law enforcement for their work, especially Det. Erwin.

It is through her dedication to solve my mothers case that we are here today. Thank you, Holly, she added.

Who Was Angela Kleinsorge?

According to the police chief, Kleinsorge was born in Germany in 1907. She immigrated to the United States, where she met her husband, Paul.

The couple moved to California, started a landscaping business and raised their family in a modest home in the quiet San Diego suburb of Linda Vista. The couple lived the American Dream, and tried to give back to their community.

The Kleinsorges were founding members of the House of Germany at the International Cottages in Balboa Park.

They took tremendous pride in their German-American heritage, the police chief said.

Paul died in 1971. Angela Kleinsorge continued to live at the family's home, where, as she grew older, she settled into a quiet life.

She had a daily routine that included waking up at 6 a.m. for coffee and breakfast, watching soap operas and working in her garden.

She was beloved by her children, family and friends.

San Diego's Unsolved Cold Cases

Familial DNA Testing in California:

According to the DAs office, familial search requests filed with the California DOJs Familial Search Committee are evaluated on a case-by-case basis following a rigorous protocol. Approval is limited to cases involving major violent crimes with serious public safety risk and if all other investigative leads have been exhausted.

The DAs office said that since 2008, the California DOJ has received 134 cases for familial searching, conducted 172 searched and identified eight familial search hits.

The technique described by San Diego authorities as a frontier in the evolving world of forensice science was pioneered in the United Kingdom, helping with the first conviction using the technique in 2002. California was the first U.S. state to authorize the testing in 2008, followed by Colorado in 2009. It has since been used across at least eight other states, the DAs office said.

Famously, in February 2016, familial searching was used to solve the decades-old Grim Sleeper serial killings case out of Los Angeles. In that case, Lonnie David Franklin Jr. was charged with killing nine young women and a teenager and dumping their bodies in alleys and trash bins.

Franklin was identified as the killer when investigators matched crime scene DNA to DNA of Franklins son,which had been collected after a felony arrest and put into an offender database.

The DNA of Franklins son had similarities to genetic material left on the bodies of many of Franklins victims.

Franklin was sentenced to death in August 2016. Detectives believe he could have killed as many as 25 women from the late 1970s until his arrest in 2010. This includes the 14-year stretch from 1988 to 2002 when it is believed he took a break from serial killings, earning the nickname the Grim Sleeper.

Familial DNA Searching represents a significant advancement in forensic investigative tools available to law enforcement, said California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a press release Friday. It can play a critical role in solving crimes, especially decades-old cold cases that could not be solved by the forensic techniques employed at that time. This technology goes a long way to giving victims families the closure they deserve.

Published at 1:00 PM PDT on Apr 14, 2017 | Updated 3 hours ago

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Cutting-Edge DNA Science Solves San Diego Cold Case Murder ... - NBC 7 San Diego

A married couple who struggled to conceive only discovered they were twins when they went through IVF.

The unnamed couple underwent the treatment to help them have a baby.

But doctors at the fertility lab noticed their DNA was abnormally similar.

At first, lab technicians believed the pair may be unwitting cousins, but soon ruled that out because the DNA was too similar.

Eventually doctors confronted the pair, who burst out in laughter when they were asked if they were related.

A doctor at the clinic in Jackson, Mississippi, told theMississippi Herald: Its just a routine thing and we wouldnt normally check to see if there was a relationship between the two samples.

But in this case the lab assistant involved was shocked by the similarity of each profile.

Adding to the compelling evidence was the fact the pair shared the same birthday and that friends had remarked how similar they looked.

The doctor who broke the news described how the wife pleaded with him to admit he was joking, but he added: I wish that I was, but they had to know the truth.

It soon became clear that the pair were in fact unwitting siblings both having been adopted as babies to separate families when their parents were killed in a car crash.

They later met at a university party and bonded over their similar backgrounds.

The unnamed doctor added: The husband said that a lot of people remarked on the fact they shared the same birthdays and looked similar to each other, but he said it was just a funny coincidence and that the couple were definitely not related.

The pair are now said to be re-considering their future together.

This story first appeared in The Sun.

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Couple finds out they are biological twins during IVF treatment - Fox News

NARRAGANSETT Sophomore students at Narragansett High School dedicated Wednesday to the study of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as part of the schools 17th annual DNA Day Symposium. The all-day event turned Biology 1 students into scientists as they explored real-world application and bioethics of DNA. Four classrooms in NHS science wing became dedicated to the event, with one particular DNA-related activity happening in each room. Food was donated by Dunkin Donuts of Narragansett and Belmont. The day was opened with keynote speaker professor Ken Miller of Brown University, who told students he was not accepted into the ivy-league school based on knowledge, but on diligence, before launching into the history of the discovery of DNA and then elaborating on its contemporary use.

One of the activities consisted of gel electrophoresis a DNA fingerprint lab in which students prepare gels and compare the DNA of two suspects to determine the DNA fingerprint of the perpetrator of a crime scene. The event was facilitated by teachers Kathy Couchon and Adam Reis with assistance from NHS seniors Kieran Maynard, Katie McLeod, Kristen Parenteau, Finnian Duncan and Sam Reddington.

We have multiple stations and different groups carrying out gel electrophoresis, said sophomore Aidan Capaldi. We are breaking down the two DNA samples in the gel and trying to figure out which one matches the sample from the crime scene.

Biology students were also able to extract the DNA from fruit an activity which would allow the students to examine the DNA itself and also serve as an example that DNA exists in all living things. This process is similar to the scientific operation of extracting DNA for analysis, and was headed up by NHS teacher Eric Zabel.

The RI State Police also made a visit to the high school, with Detective Sergeant John Grassel giving a presentation and a follow-up Q&A session on the polices use of DNA to solve major crimes in Rhode Island. Grassel took students through a series of five cases and explained how DNA analysis had led to arrests and convictions, and how its application served as a better means of evidence against a suspected criminal than other, more fickle methods, such as eyewitness testimony.

Physical evidence is very important to us, he said. Narragansett is a great school, and theres probably never any fights. But lets say there was a fight, which probably starts out as someone pushing someone else into a locker. By the end of the day, its being characterized as an all-out brawl and everyone is saying who won, and, depending on who you ask, its a different person. This is why we try not to rely on eyewitness testimony too much and focus more on physical evidence.

The final activity of the DNA Day Symposium involved a discussion on applying ethics to the field of DNA science, facilitated by NHS senior project coordinator John OBrien and student teacher Molly Silvia. The discussion centered around the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman who died of cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins University in 1951 and, unbeknownst to her or her family, some of her cancer cells were extracted and used by university researchers to develop an immortal cell line. This advancement in the field would later go on to be used in the development of polio and HPV vaccines.

Some consider Lacks contribution one of the most important events in modern medical history, said NHS science teacher Kathleen Couchon. But her family never knew of her cell removal until the author of the book contacted them in the 1970s.

A long-time staple for NHS Bio 1 sophomores, Couchon went on to say that DNA Day sticks in the minds of the students who participate.

Students appear to truly enjoy the day, she said. It is an opportunity for a hands-on application of important science content, discuss careers in forensics and related occupations and discuss the bioethics of an important issue, the use of human cells and tissue in research. Past students often discuss the day as a highlight.

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NHS sophomores dedicate a full day to DNA - Ricentral.com

PHOENIX - New technology could help Mesa police find a man who sexually assaulted a 4-year-old in January after breaking into the home in the middle of the night.

Mesa police have released a DNA phenotype snapshot an image generated by predicting a person's physical appearance based on their DNA.

When police have a crime on their hands with very few leads on a suspect, the DNA left at a crime scene can help them find their criminal.

"DNA: it's a blueprint. It contains all the information about that person. You just read it to help them figure out who that person was," said Ellen Greytak, director of bioinformatics at Parabon NanoLabs.

They came up with technology that some police departments are now using, including Mesa police.

"What we can do is take that DNA, do a separate analysis, and then predict information about that person; their ancestry, pigmentation, shape of face. And from that, the investigators can narrow down the suspect list," Greytak said.

She said the technology doesn't provide definitive answers, but it helps police focus their investigation by the process of elimination based in science.

"[For example] we might not be able to say for sure that this person has blue eyes versus green eyes, but they're definitely not brown," Greytak said.

Parabon already has a large database of DNA from people whose appearance they already know to help in the prediction.

"We know their eye color, for example, so we've used that data to pull out the parts of the DNA that you tend to see in people in blue eyes and that are different from DNA you see in people with brown eyes, for example," Greytak said.

Testing costs police departments $3,600.

Parabon has about 100 cases going right now since they've begun working with police departments around the U.S. in late 2014.

So far one snapshot has helped in a suspect being caught and prosecuted, Greytak said.

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New technology could help authorities identify suspects without ... - ABC15 Arizona

The Bellingham Herald

Bellingham robber's wig gives police key DNA evidence to put him in prison The Bellingham Herald The man in a blond wig and black sunglasses walked up to the counter at Yorky's Market around 2 a.m. July 2, 2016, to ask for a pack of cigarettes. He then told the clerk he wanted everything in the till. He lifted up his shirt to reveal a small ...

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Bellingham robber's wig gives police key DNA evidence to put him in prison - The Bellingham Herald

Fresno Bee (blog)

A pastor and a geneticist hunt for the DNA of Jesus with help from History TV Fresno Bee (blog) Using the latest advances in DNA technology Oxford University geneticist, George Busby, and biblical scholar, Pastor Joe Basile, are investigating the world's most famous holy relics including the Shroud of Turin, The Sudarium of Oviedo and the newly ...

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A pastor and a geneticist hunt for the DNA of Jesus with help from History TV - Fresno Bee (blog)

DNA(Photo: Associated Press)

Arguments swirled around a bill that would allow police to collectDNA samples from people arrested for felonies, but who had not yet been convicted.Then Senate President Pro TemDavid Long, R-Fort Wayne,stepped in to call off the vigorous debate.

"We've got a lot of work today," Long said, pressing the senators to vote on the motion to concur.

It passed 36-13. Now, the bill goes to the desk of Gov. Eric Holcomb.

But the fevered debate which only happened because the measure had to return to the Senate to concur on a minor House change indicates that the use of DNA, while a staple of police investigations for decades, evokes privacy concerns among some Hoosiers.

Also happening in the legislature:Lawmakers push to revive domestic violence gun bill

Will Holcomb sign abortion legislation?

Revenue forecast adds money to state budget talks

If signed into law by the governor, Senate Enrolled Act 322, authored by Sen. Erin Houchin, R-Salem,will broaden Indiana's DNA database, which supporters say will aid police in solving violent crimes such as rape, as well as clear those who may be innocent.

Right now, the state collects DNA upon conviction of crime. But come the end of the year, the proposal would allow police to take a sample upon arrest, making Indiana the 31ststateto do so.

As the bill traveled through the House and the Senate, lawmakers added a number of safeguards to protect innocent people from getting their DNA ensnared by the government through a false arrest. Thechanges came as opponents of the bill raised privacy concerns, predicting a Big Brother-like future of government intrusion oncitizens using their genetic material.

More on DNA collection:Should police take a DNA sample when making arrests?

Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis,suggested that a DNA database could be breached, and used to frame people for crimes they didn't commit.

"If somebody gets your DNA and puts it at a crime scene, you're in trouble," Taylor said.

But supporters of the bill called such scenarios hyperbole, and argued that the practice in which DNA is taken with a cheek swab is similar to fingerprinting. The U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision in 2013 ruled that collecting DNA upon arrest is constitutionaland does not violate a suspect's Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure.

Sen. Brandt Hershman, R-Wheatfield, said some of the arguments from opponents "throw up hypotheticals that border on the silly."

"My fingerprints were taken when Itook the bar, and I didn't commit a crime," he said.

Lawmakers have proposed similar bills in past years, all of which failed to gain traction.

That changedlate last year when police closed two high-profile cases the slaying of an elderly man and attacks on two police stations because of a DNA sample taken on arrestin Ohio.

Before he was accused of shooting and killing an 82-year-old Zionsville man and firing shots at two police stations, Damoine Wilcoxson was arrested for a felony in Indiana, but not convicted. He also was arrested in Ohio, where a DNA sample was taken and placed into a database for comparison to other cases.

While investigating the two cases, police matched a DNA sample taken from a letter left at the scenes of the police station attacks to one in the Ohio database taken from Wilcoxson. Detectives then connected the slaying and the police station attacks with ballistic evidence. Police and prosecutors credited Ohio's expanded DNA database for solving the crimes.

However, some lawmakers were reluctant to expand the DNA database too far.

A similar bill authored by Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon,advanced in the House, and lawmakers worked together to add protections in the bills. For example, police can only take a DNA sample if a judge has found probable cause for an arrest, according to an amendment. Lawmakers also outlined a number of scenarios in which an individual can remove his or her DNA.

An individual can remove a DNA sample from the database when:

But it is the job of the suspect, not the government, to initiate the process for removal. This was a provision that some opponents took issue with, stating that removal should be automatic if an arrest does not stand. In past hearings, Steuerwald argued that the person charged would have the most incentive to follow up.

The measure requires police to inform a suspect of the removal process when taking a DNA sample. Then, if the circumstances qualify, the individual would fill out a form to expunge the DNA from the system.

Holcomb now has the option to sign or veto the bill, or allow it into law without his signature. Stephanie Wilson, a spokeswoman for the governor, said he is tracking all bills that head to his desk.

"He will consider carefully before making a decision," she said.

Steuerwald said he is confident the governor will sign the bill.

"This is one of the greatest law enforcement tools we have done here this entire session," he said.

Call IndyStar reporter Madeline Buckley at (317) 444-6083. Follow her on Twitter:@Mabuckley88.

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DNA collection bill heads to governor's desk - Indianapolis Star

Some anglers won't have to tell big fish stories after their success April 8 on trout fishing opening day. iPhone video by Peggy Wright Peggy Wright

Map shows the two sites where samples were taken in the DNA fish hstudy(Photo: Courtesy of the Rockefeller University/Monmouth University)

For the first time, scientists have recorded a spring fish migration by conducting DNA tests on water samples.

The work was a collaboration ofRockefeller University and the Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University.

According to the study's report, environmental DNA called eDNA,collectedfrom one-litersamples drawn weekly from New York's East and Hudson rivers over six months last year, revealed the presence or absence of several key fish species passing through the water on each test day.

READ: Fishermen not on board with Hudson Canyon sanctuary

READ:State prepares plan to dredge Little Egg Inlet

The bits of DNA recovered found the presence of menhaden, herring species, black sea bass, striped bass, tautog (blackfish), mummichog, bay anchovy, bluefish, oyster toadfish, Atlantic silverside, and conger eel. In total it found the presence of 42species.

Using eDNAisa way to monitor fish migrations that involves a fraction of the effort and cost of trawling, all without harming the fish, the study said.

It also said itcan be used toestimate the abundance and distribution of diverse fish species and other forms of marine life in the dark waters of rivers, lakes, and seas.

It has some kinks, for example, some DNA could not be exactlydistinguished, notably some in the herring family,

The testsalsoturned up DNA of fish species that are not found in New York waters but are commonly eaten by New Yorkers, such as tilapia, red snapper, and salmon.

It lead the researchers to conclude of those species DNA entered via the wastewater system.

Dan Radel: 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com

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DNA used to track fish in Hudson and East rivers - Asbury Park Press - Asbury Park Press

Viruses reproduce by infiltrating living cells and taking over the biological machinery inside. Its an insidious process that can leave the host with a life-threatening illness, a mild fever, or no ill effects at all. Recent advances in medical science have allowed humans to combat viruses like never before, but a new study from researchers at Rockefeller University shows how our primate ancestors may have waged war on a virus with only the weapon of evolution.

Viruses dont leave behind fossil evidence, but sometimes their DNA can survive as part of their victims, and thats where the team went looking in this case. Thestudy focuses on an ancient virus known as HERV-T, which began infecting primates some 32 to 43 million years ago. HERV-T is a retrovirus (just like HIV), which means it carried its genetic material around as RNA. Eukaryotic cells (like ours) are DNA-based, so one of the first things HERV-T did upon gaining access to a cell was turn its RNA into DNA, then it stuffed it into the cells DNA to be duplicated.

HERV-T has long since gone extinct, but the researchers were able to find its remains in the genetic material of various primates. The germline cells like fetal cells, sperm progenitors, and eggs that were infected with HERV-T passed the viral genes down over the eons. This is what allowed the team to construct a timeline for the rise and fall of HERV-T, and find out how our ancestors might have killed it.

When HERV-T began popping up in primates around 40 million years ago, it used a protein on host cells called MCT1 to gain access. The virus used a protein called ancHTenv to link up with that protein, like a key in a lock. The team also found a remarkably well-preserved version of that protein hiding in the DNA of primates (including humans), which theyve named hsaHTenv. Its not uncommon for organisms to pick up a bit of nucleic acid here and there from viruses, but the nature of this gene suggests some interesting possibilities. The team used the remaining genetic code to reconstruct the ancient virus protein and study its function, which was a scientific first.

The life cycle of a retrovirus.

Scientists postulate that hsaHTenv was captured by our hominid ancestors cells around 19 million years ago. This gene was used by cells to produce the key protein of the virus independent of the virus itself. This in turn allowed cells to immunize themselves. Basically, hsaHTenv could bind to MCT1 particles in the cell, preventing them from being added to the cells membrane. With no MCT1 on the surface, the virus had no way to infect the cell. In the space of a few million years, HERV-T died out as its pool of hosts shrunk.

Not all researchers are convinced by the data, but such is the nature of science. Its possible the presence of hsaHTenv in primate genomes is due to some other factor, not its use as a weapon against ancient retroviruses. Still, its a fascinating hypothesis that warrants further study.

Now read: How DNA sequencing works

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Ancient DNA showcases a war between our hominid ancestors and viruses - ExtremeTech

World's media focusing in on upcoming executions

Michael Buckner, KTHV 7:17 PM. CDT April 13, 2017

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - The Innocence Project has asked an Arkansas circuit court to grant new DNA testing to death row inmate Stacey Johnson. The inmate is one of seven men set to be executed in a 10-day span starting on April 17.

The Innocence Project is a non-profit legal organization that works to exonerate those who may have been wrongly convicted. Their most famous case was the original exoneration of Steven Avery, who served 18 years in prison for a sexual assault he never committed.

In a press release, the group said newer DNA testing has "never been performed" in Johnson's case and could potentially prove he is innocent of the crime he's been charged with.

Johnson was convicted of the murder of Carol Heath in April of 1993. She was found only wearing a t-shirt. The evidence shows she was stabbed in the throat and raped. Johnson has maintained his innocence throughout his entire time in prison.

"While opinions are divided on whether the death penalty is a reasonable form of punishment, I hope we can all agree that no one should be put to death where DNA testing could prove innocence," said Karen Thompson, a staff attorney with the Innocence Project, "especially in situations like this one where potentially probative evidence from the crime scene was never even submitted for DNA testing despite a defense request."

Heath's purse was later on found at highway rest stop, where DNA tests proved the purse was stained in her blood.

The Innocence Project said that Johnson's case "rested largely on biological evidence and the testimony of the victim's 6-year-old daughter, Ashley Heath, who identified Johnson as the killer." His first conviction was overturned once the 6-year-old had been found "not mentally competent" to testify because of her age.

In Johnson's second conviction, the daughter's testimony was allowed. The conviction was later affirmed by the Arkansas Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision. In the dissenting opinion, Justice Robert L. Brown said the daughter began seeing a new therapist during the second trial and Johnson's counsel were denied access to these new therapist's evaluation of the child.

"Had defense counsel been privy to [the therapist's] records," Brown said in his dissent, "he would have been able to delve into [her] conclusions that Ashley's stories were profoundly inconsistent and that she had been under considerable pressure from her family and the prosecutor to convict Stacey Johnson."

The Innocence Project said that the defense was able to unseal those records and confirm that the child's therapist "believed her to be incompetent."

The group is requesting new DNA testing because his trial at the time didn't allow for testing of the sexual assault evidence. They say while Johnson's DNA matches to hairs found at the Heath's apartment, he admitted to visting the location previously.

"This early generation DNA testing also provided no results identifying the murderer on the shirts left at the highway rest stop, swabbingsof bite marks found on the victim's breasts, and other relevant items," the press release said.

The group also asserted that Heath's boyfriend at the time had a history of domestic assault, but police never investigated him as a potential suspect. During the trial, it came to light that his previous abuse charges included biting his ex-wife's breasts.

"This is not some sort of last-minute, hail mary pass," said Bryce Benjet with the Innocence Project. "Johnson asked for DNA testing in earlier appeals, but those requests were denied by State and federal courts. There have been revolutionary advancements in DNA testing since this case was initially investigated which could tell once and for all who actually committed this crime."

The motion filed on Thursday asks the Sevier County Circuit Court Judge to grant Johnson a hearing. If the hearing is granted, the group will present their evidence as to why the new DNA testing should be approved.

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Innocence Project asks Arkansas court to grant DNA testing in Stacey Johnson case - THV 11