Category Archives: DNA

PARIS - DNA traces on an orange juice bottle and a surveillance video of a man praying in a mall led to the arrest Wednesday of a young suspected Islamic extremist accused of stabbing a French soldier patrolling a crowded area just outside Paris, officials said.

The attack came days after a British soldier was slain on a London street in broad daylight, raising fears of potential copycat attacks.

The case also brought into question what authorities knew about the suspect, identified by police as Alexandre Dhaussy, because he had been tracked over several years.

France has been on heightened security alert since its military intervention in January in the west African nation of Mali to oust Islamic radicals.

The French soldier attacked on Saturday is recovering from his injuries and has been released from the hospital.

The suspect was captured on camera offering a Muslim prayer in a corner of a busy shopping mall 10 minutes before he went after the soldier Saturday at the La Defence financial and shopping district, French prosecutor Francois Molins said Wednesday at a news conference in Paris.

The 22-year-old Frenchman bought the juice and the pocketknife used in the attack an hour beforehand, Molins said.

"The intent to kill is obvious. The suspect doesn't hesitate to stab several times with impressive determination," Molins said.

The suspect was arrested Wednesday morning outside Paris at the house of a friend who hasn't been implicated.

"The suspect implicitly confessed when he told police 'I know why you're here,'" Molins told reporters. "The nature of the attack, the fact that it happened three days after the London attack and a prayer that was carried shortly before the attack make us believe that he acted in the name of his religious ideology and that his wish was to attack someone representing the state. "

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DNA on juice bottle, surveillance video of prayer led to arrest in French soldier's stabbing

29 May 2013 Last updated at 12:15 ET

DNA tests are being carried out on a body found on the Spanish island of Lanzarote where a Merseyside woman went missing in 2011.

Retired IT worker Margaret Holt, 65, of Spital, Wirral, disappeared during a hiking holiday.

Her son Ben said he had been informed by the Foreign Office that tests were under way to identify a body found in the area where she was last seen.

A Foreign Office spokesman said inquiries were ongoing.

Mr Riley, 36, of Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester, said: "I was contacted on Monday, they said they had found a body and were waiting to do DNA tests to confirm, but it's very likely to be mum.

"I will fly out there if I get confirmation to see where she died. It would be good to lay her to rest and bring her home."

Mrs Holt, an experienced hiker, left her hotel in the resort of Costa Teguise on the morning of 23 December 2011.

She was last spotted in Orzola, to the north of the island, on a coastal path later the same day.

When she failed to return, an extensive search began involving helicopters, sea rescue teams, and police dogs, as well as the island's hiking groups and hang-gliding enthusiasts.

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DNA tests on island body of woman

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Scott Berkowitz is president and founder of the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization.

(CNN) -- Rape is a crime in which, all too often, only the victim pays a price. In America, out of every 100 rapes, only 46 are reported to police and only three rapists will spend a day behind bars. To make matters worse, rapists tend to be serial criminals, so every one left on the streets is likely to commit still more attacks.

In February, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Maryland v. King, a case that will have a big impact on our nation's ability to hold rapists accountable. Following his arrest on assault charges in 2009, Alonzo King had his cheek swabbed, a painless process that took about five seconds. A crime lab analyzed the swab, and the resulting DNA profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, the federal database. King's DNA was linked to a 6-year-old crime scene, and he was subsequently convicted for the rape of a 53-year-old woman at gunpoint.

CODIS, by the way, contains the DNA profiles of more than 10 million offenders, as well as a record of DNA left at nearly half a million crime scenes. It has produced more than 205,000 hits so far, DNA matches between offender and crime scene, which has aided more than 197,000 investigations. In other words, it works, and without it, King and many other rapists would remain free to commit more crimes.

Scott Berkowitz

King appealed his conviction and a Maryland court overturned it. Maryland is one of 26 states that treat DNA as essentially a more sophisticated and accurate version of fingerprints, collecting it after someone is arrested on certain felony charges. The remaining states wait until a conviction to collect DNA. The Maryland court ruled that collecting DNA from arrestees was a Fourth Amendment violation; the state appealed that decision to the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule in the next few weeks.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. described this case as "perhaps the most important criminal procedure case that this court has heard in decades." He's right, and the result will have serious repercussions for victims of rape and their families seeking justice. DNA is the fingerprint of the 21st century, and it is long established that police can collect fingerprints upon an arrest and check to see if those prints match an unsolved case.

Take, for example, Katie Sepich, a 22-year-old graduate student at New Mexico State University. In August 2003, she was raped and strangled just outside her home; her body was burned and abandoned at a dump site. In 2006, the DNA gathered from under Katie's fingernails was matched to a man who, in the years since, had been convicted of several other crimes. He was convicted of her rape and murder.

Opponents of collecting DNA from people arrested for felonies are right to fear a massive government database that contains intimate DNA information about citizens' genetic and health histories. But that's not what CODIS is.

Originally posted here:
If DNA swabs banned, rapists will go free

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Scott Berkowitz is president and founder of the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization.

(CNN) -- Rape is a crime in which, all too often, only the victim pays a price. In America, out of every 100 rapes, only 46 are reported to police and only three rapists will spend a day behind bars. To make matters worse, rapists tend to be serial criminals, so every one left on the streets is likely to commit still more attacks.

In February, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Maryland v. King, a case that will have a big impact on our nation's ability to hold rapists accountable. Following his arrest on assault charges in 2009, Alonzo King had his cheek swabbed, a painless process that took about five seconds. A crime lab analyzed the swab, and the resulting DNA profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, the federal database. King's DNA was linked to a 6-year-old crime scene, and he was subsequently convicted for the rape of a 53-year-old woman at gunpoint.

CODIS, by the way, contains the DNA profiles of more than 10 million offenders, as well as a record of DNA left at nearly half a million crime scenes. It has produced more than 205,000 hits so far, DNA matches between offender and crime scene, which has aided more than 197,000 investigations. In other words, it works, and without it, King and many other rapists would remain free to commit more crimes.

Scott Berkowitz

King appealed his conviction and a Maryland court overturned it. Maryland is one of 26 states that treat DNA as essentially a more sophisticated and accurate version of fingerprints, collecting it after someone is arrested on certain felony charges. The remaining states wait until a conviction to collect DNA. The Maryland court ruled that collecting DNA from arrestees was a Fourth Amendment violation; the state appealed that decision to the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule in the next few weeks.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. described this case as "perhaps the most important criminal procedure case that this court has heard in decades." He's right, and the result will have serious repercussions for victims of rape and their families seeking justice. DNA is the fingerprint of the 21st century, and it is long established that police can collect fingerprints upon an arrest and check to see if those prints match an unsolved case.

Take, for example, Katie Sepich, a 22-year-old graduate student at New Mexico State University. In August 2003, she was raped and strangled just outside her home; her body was burned and abandoned at a dump site. In 2006, the DNA gathered from under Katie's fingernails was matched to a man who, in the years since, had been convicted of several other crimes. He was convicted of her rape and murder.

Opponents of collecting DNA from people arrested for felonies are right to fear a massive government database that contains intimate DNA information about citizens' genetic and health histories. But that's not what CODIS is.

See original here:
If DNA test banned, rapists will go free

DNA traces on an orange juice bottle and a surveillance video of a man praying in a mall led to the arrest Wednesday of a young suspected Islamic extremist accused of stabbing a French soldier patrolling a crowded area just outside Paris, officials said.

The attack came days after a British soldier was slain on a London street in broad daylight, raising fears of potential copycat attacks.

The case also brought into question what authorities knew about the suspect, identified by police as Alexandre Dhaussy, because he had been tracked over several years.

France has been on heightened security alert since its military intervention in January in the west African nation of Mali to oust Islamic radicals.

The French soldier attacked on Saturday is recovering from his injuries and has been released from the hospital.

The suspect was captured on camera offering a Muslim prayer in a corner of a busy shopping mall 10 minutes before he went after the soldier Saturday at the La Defense financial and shopping district, French prosecutor Francois Molins said Wednesday at a news conference in Paris.

The 22-year-old Frenchman bought the juice and the pocketknife used in the attack an hour beforehand, Molins said.

"The intent to kill is obvious. The suspect doesn't hesitate to stab several times with impressive determination," Molins said.

The suspect was arrested Wednesday morning outside Paris at the house of a friend who hasn't been implicated.

"The suspect implicitly confessed when he told police 'I know why you're here,'" Molins told reporters. "The nature of the attack, the fact that it happened three days after the London attack and a prayer that was carried shortly before the attack make us believe that he acted in the name of his religious ideology and that his wish was to attack someone representing the state. "

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DNA on OJ Bottle Leads to Arrest

LEAMINGTON SPA, England, May 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --DNA Dynamics, Inc (OTC Pink: DNAD) has announced a new strategic partnership with Birthplace Management Group (BMG), a new model video game management agency that offers independent studios a more marketing-driven and commercially-minded approach to their business development.

Established in 2010, BMG has extensive experience in video game management, brand development, advertising & PR, digital & social media and technology. With offices in Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles, BMG will be working closely with the team at DNA Dynamics, Inc. to help identify new opportunities from some of the largest publishers and licensors in the gaming world.

Commenting on the newly signed partnership, CEO Ed Blincoe had this to say, "The team at BMG have already brought to us some interesting opportunities for some pretty incredible pieces of IP, we expect to pitch for at least one of these over the coming weeks. We're confident that with this relationship we can bring to bear at least 2-3 contracts over the course of 2013."

"DNA is a studio poised for growth," adds Rob Edgar, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of BMG. "With exceptional talent pedigree and a clear vision for where the video game industry is headed. We're excited to be partnering with them."

About DNA Dynamics, Inc.Headquartered in Leamington Spa in the United Kingdom, DNA Dynamics is a worldwide developer and publisher of graphically rich, interactive entertainment currently delivered on iOS, Android, Apple Mac and PC.

For more information please email info@dnadynamics.net

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of DNA Dynamics, Inc.'s future expectations, plans and prospects. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the results of DNA Dynamics, its subsidiaries and concepts to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements. Unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on DNA Dynamics' future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. DNA Dynamics cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, DNA Dynamics undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by DNA Dynamics.

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DNA Dynamics, Inc Appoints Birthplace Management Group as Exclusive Partner

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) DNA testing so far has been inconclusive on whether two men executed in Kansas for the 1959 killings that inspired the book "In Cold Blood" can also be linked to the unsolved slayings of a Florida family weeks later, a senior investigator said Wednesday.

Kansas Bureau of Investigation will continue testing material collected from the remains of convicted murderers Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, Deputy Director Kyle Smith said. Investigators believe the men fled to Florida after killing the Clutter family in a gruesome case later documented by Truman Capote in his genre-forming classic.

"The analysis is not completed," Kyle Smith told The Associated Press. "We are still trying."

In Florida, the Sarasota County sheriff's office says it remains optimistic that it can resolve questions about the killings of four family members, just days before Christmas 1959. A detective there began investigating the case again in 2007.

"Hopefully, science will be able to give us the answers," spokeswoman Wendy Rose said.

The KBI initially projected it would have definitive results from the DNA early this month, but the agency now has no timetable for when the testing will be complete.

"Justice never rests," Smith said.

Hickock and Perry Smith were hanged in 1965 in Kansas for the killings of Herb Clutter, his wife and two of their children in the family's farmhouse outside the southwest Kansas town of Holcomb.

The hunt for the killers mesmerized the nation and drew journalists from across the U.S. to the small farming town. Capote's book takes readers through the killings, Hickock's and Perry Smith's trial and their execution. It is celebrated because it reads like a novel; scholars have long debated its accuracy.

Attention quickly turned to Hickock and Perry Smith when, only weeks after the Kansas slayings, a Florida family was killed. Cliff Walker and his wife, Christine, along with their two small children, were killed in their home in Osprey, Fla., south of Sarasota. The case was never solved.

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'In Cold Blood' DNA testing inconclusive, so far

PARIS (AP) DNA traces on an orange juice bottle and a surveillance video of a man praying in a mall led to the arrest Wednesday of a young suspected Islamic extremist accused of stabbing a French soldier patrolling a crowded area just outside Paris, officials said.

The attack came days after a British soldier was slain on a London street in broad daylight, raising fears of potential copycat attacks.

The case also brought into question what authorities knew about the suspect, identified by police as Alexandre Dhaussy, because he had been tracked over several years.

France has been on heightened security alert since its military intervention in January in the west African nation of Mali to oust Islamic radicals.

The French soldier attacked on Saturday is recovering from his injuries and has been released from the hospital.

The suspect was captured on camera offering a Muslim prayer in a corner of a busy shopping mall 10 minutes before he went after the soldier Saturday at the La Defense financial and shopping district, French prosecutor Francois Molins said Wednesday at a news conference in Paris.

The 22-year-old Frenchman bought the juice and the pocketknife used in the attack an hour beforehand, Molins said.

"The intent to kill is obvious. The suspect doesn't hesitate to stab several times with impressive determination," Molins said.

The suspect was arrested Wednesday morning outside Paris at the house of a friend who hasn't been implicated.

"The suspect implicitly confessed when he told police 'I know why you're here,'" Molins told reporters. "The nature of the attack, the fact that it happened three days after the London attack and a prayer that was carried shortly before the attack make us believe that he acted in the name of his religious ideology and that his wish was to attack someone representing the state. "

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DNA, video led to arrest in French soldier attack

Anti-Theft DNA Used to Tackle Copper Cable Theft
The organized theft of copper from homes and building sites has become a global problem in recent years, but German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom...

By: latestnews789

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Anti-Theft DNA Used to Tackle Copper Cable Theft - Video

DNA: George Church at TEDxCERN
George Church helped initiate the Human Genome Project and is one of the 6 scientists who proposed the The Brain Activity Map Project that #39;s making a splash ...

By: TEDxTalks

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DNA: George Church at TEDxCERN - Video