Category Archives: Transhuman News

By Kristina Sgueglia and Olivia Smith, CNN

updated 1:47 PM EST, Sat February 2, 2013

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

New York (CNN) -- In an ongoing review of botched forensic evidence in New York City rape cases, authorities this week determined that more than 50 DNA samples were never uploaded to the state database, which prevented them from being compared for possible matches.

The revelation has raised more questions about the extent of the DNA evidence problem and how, for more than a decade, it may have affected hundreds of rape cases in the city.

"While 55 represents a minuscule percentage of the overall total of 25,000 profiles entered since 2000 ... the failure is not acceptable for a world-class DNA lab that prides itself on accuracy and attention to detail," city medical examiner spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said Thursday.

After the samples were reprocessed, one was linked to a 2006 burglary, authorities said.

Last month, investigators uncovered 26 incidents in which critical evidence went undetected, prompting the city's medical examiner's office to look into more than 800 rape cases over 10 years, "reviewing and retesting everything," Borakove said.

A medical examiner lab deputy director has since been fired and the director suspended.

"The mishandling of rape cases is making double victims of women who have already suffered an indescribably horrific event," City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said. "We cannot allow these women to wonder if their attacker remains free or to go one more day without knowing justice was served in their case."

Continued here:
DNA evidence errors raise more questions in N.Y. rape cases

LEAMINGTON SPA, U.K., Feb. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --DNA Dynamics, Inc (DNADD) announces a new strategy for 2013 and focuses on building a strong revenue streams in the Games market. On 31st January 2013, The Company enacted a 500:1 reverse split of its common stock, signaling a new era for the company as it concentrates on the lucrative 'work for hire' space, rather than exclusively creating its own IP.

Commenting on the move, David Lovatt, Chief Operating Officer for DNA Dynamics, stated that, "In 2011 and 2012, the Company had moderate success with its titles Warheads, Legacy & The Naked Gun and achieved some critical acclaim for the work it had created. However, with a limited marketing budget available, it has been an uphill struggle to get them into the mass market. The DTC Chill, announced at the end of 2012, removed any option the company had to raise the capital required to market these games effectively throughout 2013. The result being, we have shelved any plans we had to release new titles and have exited the contracts we had for existing, own IP games."

The Company's CEO, Ed Blincoe, had been establishing relationships with third parties over the final quarter of 2012 and believes that the Company is in a very strong position to work with some major studios on their IPs and assist them in bringing them to market.

In November 2012, the Company announced that it had sold its interest in the previously announced Sports game to a third party. This included removing an estimated $250,000 of current and expected liabilities from the balance sheet. Furthermore, the Company maintains a revenue share in the future success of the title upon its release.

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 Statements

This 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.

See more here:
DNA Dynamics, Inc looks to a strong revenue stream in 2013

WASHINGTON On a cold February night three years ago, police in suburban Arlington, Va., received a frantic call. A young woman said her roommate had been abducted at gunpoint by a short, clean-shaven man who sped away in a silver SUV.

At dawn, a motorist spotted the victim in a snowy field near a highway, raped and strangled, but alive. An alert officer, hearing the lookout report, recalled that he'd jotted down the license tag of a silver Dodge Durango whose driver lurked near bars at midnight, leading to the quick arrest of a short, clean-shaven Marine named Jorge Torrez.

Ten years ago, Virginia became the first state to require, upon arrest for a serious crime, a mouth swab for DNA. The sample from Torrez, sent to a state crime lab and entered into the FBI's DNA database, confirmed he was the rapist. A few weeks later a DNA match also led to charges against him in the rape and murder of two girls, ages 8 and 9, in Zion, Ill., where Torrez had gone to high school. Jerry Hobbs, the father of one of the girls, had been in prison for the crimes.

This month, the U.S. Supreme Court will take up a privacy rights challenge to taking DNA from people who are arrested. The case could either end the practice or make it the norm nationwide.

Arlington County Deputy Police Chief Daniel Murray says the Torrez case shows the value of taking DNA when someone is arrested for a serious crime. "It's extremely important to quickly identify someone who would be a danger to society if he were on the loose," he said. And in this instance, he said, the DNA match freed an innocent man.

Nationwide, DNA samples are taken from people who are convicted of violent crimes.

Going further, the federal government and 28 states, including California, Illinois and Florida, now take DNA samples from some or all who are arrested but not yet convicted of serious crimes. Besides taking fingerprints, the standard jail booking now often includes taking a DNA swab, which prosecutors say is as simple and painless as brushing your teeth.

Last month, President Obama signed into law the Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act, which will help pay the start-up costs for other states to begin testing people who are arrested.

"The whole purpose of this is to find serial rapists and murderers and to get them early to save innocent lives," said Jayann Sepich, a New Mexico mother whose daughter Katie was raped and murdered. Her attacker was arrested several times, but he was not identified until he was convicted of another crime and his DNA was taken.

California prosecutors say arrests for nonviolent crimes, including drug offenses, credit card fraud and burglary, have led them to rapists and murderers, thanks to DNA tests.

Read more from the original source:
Supreme Court to hear fight over taking DNA from arrested people