Misplaced DNA evidence in sexual assault case found in Houston lab office – Chron.com

By Margaret Kadifa, Houston Chronicle

DNA evidence linked to a 1998 sexual assault case has been found in a former employee's office at the Houston Forensic Science Center, instead of being frozen for future analysis or stored in the Houston Police Department's property room.

Staff spotted June 30 the DNA evidence while filing paperwork in the former employee's office, according to a news release Wednesday from the Houston Forensic Science Center.

They also found case files in the same office.

"It is difficult to know why this evidence would have been left in an employee's office as this violates procedures," said Dr. Peter Stout, HFSC's CEO and president. "HFSC views this incident seriously, and has reviewed its processes and procedures to ensure something similar could not occur today."

The former staff member had received the DNA evidence in April 2005 after it was analyzed by an external laboratory. The evidence included bloodstain cards, a slide with biological material and DNA extracts, according to the release.

The extracts - a byproduct of the DNA analysis - should have been frozen in HPD's DNA laboratory, so it could be preserved for possible future analysis, said Ramit Plushnick-Masti, spokeswoman for the forensic science center.

The other DNA evidence should have been stored in HPD's property room,Plushnick-Masti added.

The staff position was eliminated on May 11, Plushnick-Masti said.

The DNA evidence was taken during the sexual assault investigation of a nursing home resident. The perpetrator of the assault, Warren Brown, was an employee at the nursing home. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to the assault, according to the release.

Brown is no longer incarcerated, according to the release.

The forensic science center, which is housed in HPD headquarters and in another building on Fannin, has been providing forensic services for the City of Houston and other local agencies since 2014.

That year, the forensic science center took over management of what had been HPD's crime lab, parts of its identification division and the crime scene unit,Plushnick-Masti said

Prior to 2014, forensic services were being done by the HPD crime lab,Plushnick-Masti added.

The evidence and files should have only been in possession of a staff member while the DNA analysis was being done, while the case was being reviewed or during preparations for trial, according to the release.

The forensic science center told the Harris County District Attorney's Office and the Texas Forensic Science Commission of the misplaced DNA evidence.

The district attorney's office notified Brown's attorney of the evidence.

The forensic science center says it has made improvements in recent years that make it easier for staff to track evidence. In 2009, the crime laboratory's Laboratory Information Management System was put in place to make it easier for staff to spot if evidence was out of place, according to the release.

"HFSC has significantly improved quality systems and tightened procedures since 2014 when it took over management of HPD's crime lab. We believe we now have the systems in place to prevent a similar occurrence," Dr. Stout said.

"We continue to look for and implement new, proactive engineering controls to improve evidence and record handling, and will soon have tracking mechanism installed in some disciplines which further helps prevent the loss of evidence and documents," he added.

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Misplaced DNA evidence in sexual assault case found in Houston lab office - Chron.com