Category Archives: DNA

Priscilla Blevins was a studious, pretty woman whod studied Spanish at Wake Forest University, taught English in Bogota, Colombia, and wanted to be a translator for the United Nations. She disappeared without a trace shortly after Independence Day in 1975.

Now, police say they have solved the 37-year-old missing persons case thanks to a persistent family and a swab of DNA collected at a Winston-Salem bookstore.

Its the oldest missing persons case the unit has solved, said Det. Lee Tuttle, the lead investigator who added that police still dont know how Blevins died.

Blevins was last seen alive by her roommate at their apartment on Tyvola Road near South Boulevard. Her younger sister, Cathy Blevins Howe, who lived in Arizona at the time, still vividly remembers the long-distance phone call from her worried parents saying her older sister couldnt be found.

As the years ticked by, the Blevins family stayed in constant contact with Charlotte police, urging them to find their daughter. But investigators had exhausted all leads.

They never knew that a womans body was discovered 10 years later in Haywood County, near the Tennessee-North Carolina border, roughly 150 miles from Blevins apartment. Unidentified, it was shipped to the chief medical examiners office in Chapel Hill in 1985. No one knew it was Blevins.

As her parents aged, Howe continued the search for her older sister.

As I got older and had a daughter of my own, my curiosity about this continued and it just never let up, she said. I just decided that I wanted to see what I could find out.

She called CMPDs missing persons team in 2000. Tuttle, a 20-year-veteran of the department, who is also from Winston-Salem, called her back. Over time, he found an article about Blevins disappearance written in 1978. He also contacted a private detective whod been hired by the family to find Blevins.

But the key to cracking the case would be newer investigative methods.

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DNA confirms body found by highway is woman missing since 1975

DNA taken from someone acquitted of a crime may be retained and used in subsequent investigations, according to a unanimous opinion by the Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday that said such people dont have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

In the 7-0 opinion written by Justice Robert Cupp, the court said that if the DNA is obtained legally during a criminal investigation, it may be used in a separate investigation down the road.

The decision stems from the case of a Cleveland man who was acquitted in the 2005 rape of his girlfriends 7-year-old daughter but was later convicted of a 2007 murder.

Authorities had taken a DNA sample from Dajuan Emerson, 34, in the rape investigation. Emerson was acquitted, but the sample was retained in the FBIs Combined DNA Index System and matched blood found on a door handle at the scene of the 2007 murder of 37-year-old Marnie Macon of Cleveland.

Macon had been stabbed 74 times, and prosecutors said the lower half of her body had been sanitized in an effort to destroy any semen left behind.

Emerson, who is now serving a life sentence stemming from his aggravated murder conviction, had argued that the state violated his constitutional rights by retaining his DNA and should only have used it for the rape investigation.

The justices denied that argument and said Emersons DNA was obtained through a proper search warrant and that he never challenged the validity of that warrant, noting that numerous courts across the country have examined the issue and reached the same conclusion:

A person has no reasonable expectation of privacy in his or her DNA profile extracted from a lawfully obtained DNA sample, Cupp wrote.

Emersons Cleveland attorney, Robert Moriarty, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday.

Emerson also had argued at trial that his DNA sample from the rape investigation should not have been used and unsuccessfully tried to get it suppressed.

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Ohio court: Old DNA in acquittals may be kept

By Randy Ludlow

The Columbus Dispatch Thursday November 1, 2012 2:00 PM

DNA profiles obtained from felony suspects can be retained in a state database and used in subsequent criminal investigations even if suspects were acquitted in the cases in which samples were obtained, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled today.

Retaining the DNA profiles of acquitted suspects does not constitute unreasonable search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment, the court said in a unanimous opinion written by Justice Robert R. Cupp.

The decision upheld an appellate court ruling in the case of a Cleveland man who was acquitted of rape in 2005 and charged with aggravated murder in 2009 when the rape-case DNA profile matched blood found at the murder scene.

Lawyers for Dajuan Emerson argued that the convicted killer had an expectation of privacy for his DNA profile since he was not convicted of the crime for which he provided a sample in response to a search warrant.

Emersons DNA profile could only be used in the rape case and its retention in the states Combined DNA Index System constituted illegal search and seizure when used to identify him as a suspect in the murder case, his lawyers said.

Cupp wrote that a DNA sample and a DNA profile differ. When the state tests a sample, the scientific process creates a profile that is a government work product in which criminal suspects do not have an ownership interest.

Retention by the state of a DNA profile for possible future comparison with profiles obtained from unknown samples taken from a victim or a crime scene does not differ from the retention by the state of fingerprints for use in subsequent investigations, the court stated.

Emerson, who was acquitted of raping a 7-year-old girl in 2005, was convicted of the aggravated murder of Marnie Macon, 37, who was stabbed 74 times in her apartment on July 4, 2007.

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Ohio suspects' DNA can be saved for later cases, court rules

AUSTRALIA'S sheep producers are queuing up to adopt new DNA technology, with the latest Sheep Genomics Pilot Project fully subscribed.

The DNA testing program, conducted by the Co-operative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC), was booked out within days of its opening in August.

The Genomics Pilot Project offers three DNA testing programs: a SNP test for parentage at $17/test; a SNP test for Merino poll/horn for $17/test; and the 50k SNP test for prediction of genomic breeding values for sires at a cost of $50/test. Merinos tested for parentage, or with the 50k SNP, are receiving the poll test results at no additional cost.

The 1500 genotyping tests available as part of Pilot Project III have been fully subscribed, and a further 1500 tests allocated for commercial scale trials has also been over-subscribed, Sheep CRC chief executive James Rowe said.

With the use of DNA analysis and genomic breeding values being a very new technology, R&D is occurring in parallel with the Genomics Pilot Projects in order to define the most effective use of the new technologies in practical breeding programs.

"For this reason, the CRCs genetics research team will be working closely with a group of nine commercial-scale breeders who have submitted expressions of interest.

This is a resounding vote of confidence in the commercial value of genomics technology for sheep breeding programs.

The Sheep CRC has conducted a Genomics Pilot Project yearly since 2010, with the number of rams tested each year increasing dramatically, from approximately 450 rams in 2010, to 860 rams in 2011 and now 3000 rams in 2012.

This years project will build on the earlier trials, which provided genomic predictions for new traits including dressing percentage and lean meat yield, together with traits for meat eating quality such as intramuscular fat and shear force that are difficult and expensive to measure.

It is expected that the accuracy levels of research breeding values (RBVs) and Australian Sheep Breeding Values (ASBVs) will further improve as a result of the additional data collected during the Genomics Pilot Project and through the Information Nucleus program.

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Producers embrace sheep DNA testing

By: Jessica Zafra October 17, 2012 3:59 PM

InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5

After I saw "Give Up Tomorrow," the documentary on the apparently wrongful arrest, trial, and conviction of Paco Larraaga, I wondered how many innocent persons have been doomed to rot in our overcrowded jails. Thats how I heard about the Innocence Project Philippines, a network of law schools, non-governmental organizations and academic laboratories that seeks to make justice accessible for wrongfully convicted persons. Founded in 2012, the Innocence Project is presently headquartered at the DNA Analysis Laboratory at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.

Being a compulsive viewer of the Law and Order shows and forensic dramas on TV, I asked for an interview with the head of the UP DNA Analysis Laboratory, Dr. Maria Corazon de Ungria. Unfortunately she didnt have the time, but she did answer, via email, my very elementary questions about the initiative. An NAST Outstanding Young Scientist Awardee in 2003, De Ungria is also the director of the Program on Forensic and Ethnicity of the Philippine Genome Center. She gave technical assistance in the formulation of the Rules on DNA Evidence, and has been an expert witness in criminal cases.

Incidentally, in a newspaper article she published two weeks ago, De Ungria noted that Eyewitness testimony is recognized to be the leading cause of judicial errors in the US and elsewhere. After I wrote about the Larraaga case I heard from various people who saw the accused in Manila on the day he was supposed to be committing the crimes in Cebu. As the movie points out, the Larraaga case is notable for the number of eyewitnesses whose testimony was ignored.

Have you any idea as to the number of wrongful convictions in the Philippines?

I dont think there is an estimate of the overall number of wrongful convictions. In 2004, in the case People of the Philippines v Mateo, the Supreme Court reported about 71.8% of all death penalty cases that were reviewed resulted in a modification of the sentence, a remanding of the case back to the lower courts and in some, acquittal of the accused.

Statistics would disclose that within the eleven-year period since the re-imposition of the death penalty law in 1993 until June 2004, the cases where the judgment of death has either been modified or vacated consisted of an astounding 71.77 percent of the total of death penalty cases directly elevated before the Court on automatic review that translates to a total of 651 out of 907 appellants saved from lethal injection.

What is the process for getting a conviction reviewed with your help? How has the Innocent Project been received by the Philippine police and judiciary?

The project is just about to start. We are in the process of registering the group with the SEC and launching the project. The target date and sites for the launch is December 9, 2012 at the National Bilibid Prison in the morning and the Correctional Institute of Women in the afternoon. We are still processing the papers and request forms but we are hoping to make this happen soon. Since the project is really based on the passionate commitment of volunteers and students who want to make a difference, we are actually needing financial assistance for the launch. So best to check the Facebook account for further information.

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DNA evidence could free the innocent-if it were available

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Top Ten Companies in DNA Sequencing

http://www.reportlinker.com/p01013573/Top-Ten-Companies-in-DNA-Sequencing.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Genomics

INTRODUCTION

The story of molecular biology is being both written and printed by sequencing toolsvarious chapters being currently authored by oncologists, ID experts, pathologists, and so forth. The narrative is understood by only those select few who have the cross discipline knowledge to comprehend what the sequencing tools output, and who also have the niche domain experience to act upon knowledge of that data. Recently, this story has begun to change as low cost next generation sequencing democratizes genome data, allowing a politics and commerce of inclusion, to enter the lab and now also the clinic.

Diagnostic manufacturers can now afford to develop sequencing tools as diagnostic shortcuts. The clinician does not need to understand the mathematical underpinnings of 16SrRNA coverage for phylogeny to run a rapid anthrax test.

The rest is here:
Top Ten Companies in DNA Sequencing

Up until now, the money Illumina (Nasdaq: ILMN) , Roche, Life Technologies (Nasdaq: LIFE) , and Pacific Biosciences of California (Nasdaq: PACB) have made selling DNA sequencers has come from research labs. Academics need DNA sequencers to do basic research to understand how genetic variation affects biologic processes.

That basic research has translated into the clinic at an alarming rate, producing the next generation of DNA sequencing demand.

You can see it in the acquisitions Roche's bid for Illumina appeared to be mostly driven by bringing sequencing to the clinic. Roche has a strong hold in diagnostic testing, and Illumina's sequencing technology is superior to Roche's. But Roche played hardball and didn't want to overpay for the technology.

Last month, Illumina decided it could fill some of the gap on its own, purchasing BlueGenome, a leader in cytogenetics. The company sells tests that look at the DNA to identify genetic abnormalities that lead to cancer and other issues. Currently, those abnormalities are identified by binding probes to the DNA to identify duplications and fusion of chromosomes, but we're not too far off from where cancer patients just routinely get their DNA sequenced to identify the abnormalities.

Blue Genome also has a test to look for abnormalities before in vitro fertilization. Sequencing might be harder there, because of less DNA, but these issues are often overcome eventually.

It sure looks to me like Illumina bought BlueGenome more for its ability to sell and run the clinical test than for the test themselves, which may be obsolete in a few years given the rapid decrease in the cost of sequencing. We will get to the point where running individual tests like Sequenom's (Nasdaq: SQNM) MaterniT21 PLUS will be silly because the entire genome can be analyzed for the same cost.

Diagnosing Earlier this month, Life Technologies hooked up with CollabRx (Nasdaq: CLRX) to use the company's interpretive analytics to help develop tests for cancer diagnostics. CollabRx combines a patient's data from multiple sources to help the doctor develop a treatment plan. The genotype of a tumor tells you a lot about what drugs might be able to kill the tumor, but the genetic variation still needs to be taken in context with other pieces of information.

Getting the sequence and knowing what to do with it are two different things. One startup sequencing company, Knome, has begun selling a $125,000 supercomputer, so hospitals can analyze patients' DNA sequences directly. Having the process in-house might speed up diagnosis, but the appeal seems to also be about avoiding confidentiality issues for the patients when the data is shared externally. Either way, the fact that hospitals are buying the station is a sign that they see a future in using patients DNA sequences when diagnosing patients.

On the cusp (still) We've been on the verge of pushing genomics into diagnostics for years. Illumina added a new division for diagnostics back in 2008. Four years later, we're further along, but we're still a ways away from where DNA sequencing is a mainstream test done by most doctors.

The limiting factor is a combination of usefulness and cost, both of which are headed in the right direction. We're learning more about how genetic variations affect patients' physiologies. And the discoveries are accelerated as more people get their genomes sequenced.

Originally posted here:
The Future of DNA Sequencing Isn't in the Lab

DENVER - DNA evidence will almost certainly play a pivotal role in the ongoing investigation into the murder of Jessica Ridgeway, but a noted DNA expert cautions it can also potentially lead investigators down a rabbit hole.

Take the backpack that was found shortly after Jessica Ridgeway was reported missing as an example. It was found in a neighborhood in Superior.

"What if some kid sneezed on [Jessica's] backpack during recess [at her school]? Then we're focusing all of our efforts on this, and when we don't find that person we then think we haven't found the killer," Dr. Elizabeth Johnson told 9News from her California home on Monday.

Dr. Johnson has more than 20 years of experience working in the field of DNA technology. She was called by the defense to testify during the Kobe Bryant case in Colorado. She currently works in private forensic consultation.

"I think the biggest misconception about DNA technology is that it is infallible and that there are never mistakes made," she said. "Just because you someone's DNA on an object doesn't make them guilty of a criminal act."

Of course, she said, the presence of particular bodily fluids can also be indicative of a criminal act, and thus lead investigators closer to a killer. But she cautions that CSI-like television shows have raised the expectations of many people in inappropriate ways.

Dr. Andrew Bonham is an assistant professor at Metropolitan State University and says he still believes DNA will help in the Ridgeway murder investigation.

"I am almost 100 percent convinced," the molecular biology expert said. "That (the killer) is going to leave traces of DNA behind and that investigators are going to find those traces."

He said that current technology allows investigators to collect even seemingly miniscule portions of bodily fluids in an effort to identify critical DNA markers.

"We're now talking about almost less than you can perceive," he said.

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DNA will play pivotal role in Ridgeway case

A man allows police to take a DNA sample. Source: AFP

DNA technology now plays a key role in more than half of arrests and reports from crime scenes, as the number of people on the database grows.

Last financial year, DNA from crime scenes contributed to an arrest or a report in 52per cent of cases, up from 48per cent the previous year, reflecting an improvement in forensic science and crime scene investigation practices.

The South Australian Police annual report tabled in Parliament yesterday showed 97,396 suspects or offenders had samples entered on the DNA database, up from 84,629 in 2010-11.

While scientific work increasingly helps solve crimes, so does intelligence work.

During 2011-12 the Crime Gangs Task Force - which deals with organised crime and outlaw motorcycle gangs - arrested or reported 89 motorcycle gang members and 92 associates; seized 1175g of amphetamine, 130 cannabis plants, 5319g of cannabis, 165 ecstasy pills, 927 street deals of other illicit drugs; $139,000 in cash, 29 firearms and issued 42 barring orders.

Police Commissioner Gary Burns said victim-reported crime continued to drop, falling 5.6per cent in the past financial year (to 125,879 incidents) and 40.5per cent since 2000-01.

Other highlights in the report include:

18,534 reports received by Bank SA Crime Stoppers, resulting in 2066 crimes solved, 1166 suspects apprehended and $261,645 worth of property and cash recovered;

563,594 driver screening tests conducted, including 42,312 drivers tested for drug driving, 7779 cars impounded or clamped for hoon driving (compared to 7303 in 2010-11).

Originally posted here:
DNA clues catch more criminals

New, 9:37 a.m.

In May 2008, James Woodard was freed from prison after he served 27 years for a crime DNA evidence said he did not commit: the Christmastime rape and murder of his girlfriend, whose body was found near the Trinity River. Hed been convicted in large part due to the testimony of an eyewitness who claimed to have been able to ID Woodard from several hundred yards away at 3:30 in the morning. And his was a high-profile exoneration, in part because 60 Minutes was there to document the entirety of Dallas Countys DNA-exoneration process from the moment Woodard submitted his DNA for testing till he was finally set free in a Dallas courtroom. National Public Radio reported on his release, which, for a brief moment, was a national story, one not like any other DNA case in Dallas County history. In time Woodard became a constant at the courthouse, showing up to welcome other exonerees to freedom.

But Woodard, who was 60 years old, is dead now and he died in while in the custody of Dallas County.

As KTVT-Channel 11 reported last night, Woodard had been arrested in August after Carrollton police were called to the scene of a traffic accident. Police arrested Woodard for several outstanding warrants, and Channel 11 reports officers found he was in possession of cocaine. The station also reports Woodard suffered from seizures; our Jennifer Emily says she once saw Woodard suffer a seizure at the courthouse during another exoneration hearing.

It remains unclear why Woodard was transported from Dallas County jail to Parkland Memorial Hospital early yesterday. Dallas County Sheriffs Department spokesperson Carmen Castro tells The News this morning only that weve opened an investigation into it, and thats all we have right now. We dont know any details, only that the investigation is ongoing.

Cory Session, policy director for the Innocence Project of Texas, was close to Woodard, and he told Channel 11 last night that hes directly responsible for the eyewitness ID law that Texas now has that requires all police agencies to have an eyewitness ID procedure in place. He was directly responsible for health insurance that wrongful convicted persons now have.

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DNA exoneree James Woodard dies in custody of Dallas County jail