Potomic River Rapist: Ongoing Search for murderer, serial rapist

Police in the DC area are still looking for a serial rapist and murderer they believe is responsible for nine attacks, including the Aug. 1, 1998 killing of Christine Mirzayan. Seven of these attacks are linked through DNA. The FBI launched a website this month to increase awareness of the attacks and attempt to find the perpetrator. Read more here.

MD: Female Victim: 1 year old cold case

DNA Status unknown; victim found in river.

Phylicia Barnes disapeared one year ago in Baltimore. Her body was found in the Susquehanna River near the Conowingo Dam in Harford County. The case is still unsolved.
http://www.mdsp.org/Media/PressReleases/tabid/359/ctl/Detail/mid/1088/xmid/20445/xmfid/4/Default.aspx

Georgia: DNA of relatives helps identify bones of murder victim

DNA from the mother and sister of Ima Jean Sanders has been used to identify the body of a person believed to be a victim of serial killer Paul John Knowles. Sanders disapeared in 1974.

Solving the 37-year-old disappearance of Sanders puts her among at least 18 people that Knowles killed. He was captured in a roadblock near McDonough on Interstate 75 north of Macon in November 1974 after kidnapping a Florida state trooper and another man near Perry, Fla., and later killing them in Pulaski County.Knowles was shot to death by a GBI agent on Dec. 18, 1974, while trying to escape from custody near Douglasville.

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2011/12/25/1837839/modern-forensics-helped-solve.html#storylink=cpy

Gacy "victim" found alive

After no DNA matches among John Wayne Gacy's victims were found for the DNA of family members of Theodore Szal, it was discovered that Szal is alive, and was not a victim of Gacy in 1977 as earlier presumed.  


Read more here. 

Case update: Appellate court reverses Juan Rivera's Conviction

Update on case previously posted: http://denverfamilialdna.blogspot.com/2011/06/ill-defense-attorneys-push-for-familial.html


Illinois: An appellate court has reversed the conviction of Juan Rivera for the murder of Holly Staker. Rivera has been in prison for nearly 20 years.


DNA evidence found on the victim of a 1992 murder, Holly Staker, couldn't have come from Juan Rivera.  Rivera's attorney's were previously pushing for familial DNA testing in the case.
Read more here.

MT: Bag of Bones in Lewis and Clark County

A bag of human bones was found outside of Helena, Montana by a Forest Service employee in October.
DNA from the bones has been sent to the state crime lab but no match has been made yet.  The remains are believed to be from a male.

The bones were found on MacDonald Pass

Read about the initial find here.
Read about the current status here.

Betty Boop murder victim exhumed for DNA identification

A murder victim's body is being exhumed in the Bay Area in hopes of identifying her through DNA of her family members in the Missing Persons Database.

The 25-30 year old woman was found dead in 1989. She was dubbed the Betty Boop victim because of her T-shirt.

Read more here.

Pakistan gets first DNA lab

PESHAWAR, Dec 1, 2011 (IPS) - A much-needed DNA laboratory is to be set up at the Forensic Science Department of the Khyber Medical College in Peshawar, capital of the violence- battered Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region in Pakistan.

Pakistan hopes to identify suicide bombers through the DNA of their relatives.

Read more here.

FL: East Side Rapist defendant found Guilty

Joel Pappas, the man accused of the "East Side Rapist" crimes in Orange County, FL has been found guilty of found guilty of armed sexual battery, kidnapping, and burglary in a May 2009 attack. 

Read more: http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/orange_news/111711-Man-on-trial-for-rape-found-guilty#ixzz1fs9WMGb3

Dallas-area police have DNA of rapist targeting sorority alumnae

Police announced this week that they have the DNA but no database match for the rapist who has been attacking middle aged sorority alumnae in Texas. The FBI is assisting with the investigation.

The assaults occurred on Nov. 11, 2010, and April 2 in Plano, on Sept. 15 in Coppell and on Oct. 14 in Shady Shores -- all Dallas suburbs.
All victims were members of Delta Sigma Theta, one of nine historically black Greek groups.
Read more here.

NM: David Parker Ray's torture victims still unidentified

The victims of David Parker Ray's torture are still unidentified.

Unidentified victim of Ray

Police are hoping that DNA profiles from the victims will be identified through the missing person's database.  They have just released a photo of a woman they believe was one of his victims.
Ray was convicted in 2001 of kidnapping and torturing a Colorado woman, and kidnapping and raping another woman who fled wearing a dog collar and chain.

Though Ray died in prison in 2002, Ray's girlfriend, at the time of his arrest, Cynthia Lea Hendy, told police that Ray disposed of bodies — both men and women in ravines and in Elephant Butte Reservoir.

Read more here.

UK to collect DNA from criminals not already in the database

Police in the UK could take DNA samples from over 13,000 criminals who are not already in the DNA database.  This would include serious violent offenders who were convicted prior to DNA collection laws or prior to DNA technology.

Read more here.

New York: DNA profile but no match for 1949 murder

11-year-old Joanne Ena Lynn of Hemlock disappeared on Sept. 19, 1949.  New York State police have a DNA profile from the suspected killer, but no match to anyone in the DNA database. They are currently taking DNA profiles of living individuals who may be family members of a possible suspect.

The DNA profile has already been used to exonerate suspects in the case.

Read more here.

NIJ Familial DNA Audio

Audio for NIJ: Familial DNA Searching: Issues and Answers.
Available here: http://nij.ncjrs.gov/multimedia/audio-nijconf2011-familial-searching.htm

Vermont: Alexander Stolte accused of killing 1 year old: DNA tells otherwise

Alexander Stolte is accused of murdering his girlfriend's one-year-old daughter.
DNA evidence found on the victim indicates that she was sexually assualted.  This evidence, however, is not Stolte's DNA.

The case is scheduled to go to trial next summer.

Read more here.

Kansas Serial Rapist

Authorities in Kansas are looking for a serial rapist they believe is responsible for 14 rapes in Lawrence and Manhattan since 2000. They have not released information to the press about whether DNA evidence has been found in the cases. Riley County officials and the Kansas Attorney General’s Office are working together on the cases.

The most recent attack was three years ago.

Read more here.

NYPD: Long Island Murders work of Serial Killer

NYPD now believes they can link the murders of 10 people found in the Long Island Region. Eight of these victims were women, one was a man, and one was a baby.

Detectives are using the aspects of the crime to link the bodies to one killer. DNA status in this case is unknown.

Read more here.

Gacy Victim Identified

William “Bill” George Bundy, 19, of Chicago, was identified through DNA as a victim of serial killer John Wayne Gacy.

The University of North Texas — Center for Human Identification made a positive identification between the DNA of Bill Bundy and his brother, Robert Bundy after Cook County Sheriff's collected DNA from people who thought they might be family of the unidentified victims.

Read more here.

After exoneration: Looking for the rapist in '85 case

DNA that exonerated a Topeka man, Joe Jones, of a 1985 rape in 1992 may be used to find the real rapist in this cold case.

Though the five-year statute of limitations for prosecution of rape cases in Kansas has long passed, Kansas law allows for prosecution of rape and murder cases for up to one year after DNA evidence has identified a suspect.

Read more here.

Wisconsin partial profile from unsolved 92 homicides

Nov 19, 2011 DNA database key in solving state crimes

"Waupaca County, Sheriff Brad Hardel expressed both confidence and frustration regarding the investigation into the 1992 homicides of Tanna Togstad, 23, and her 34-year-old boyfriend, Timothy Mumbrue. They were found stabbed to death in March 1992 in Togstad's Butternut Road farmhouse in the Town of Weyauwega.
Detectives have collected DNA evidence, but are still waiting for a match."

There is a partial profile in the case. Read the article here (pg 4).

North Texas Sorority Rapist

Police have a DNA profile, but no database match, for the serial rapist who has been preying upon older members of a Texas sorority Delta Sigma Theta.  The profile is consistant with 4 assaults.


http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/More-details-released-in-North-Texas-sorority-rapes-134258958.html

Schiff and Familial DNA bill

Monday November 21, 2011

Washington, DC –Thursday night, just hours after the measure passed the House, the Senate approved a budget conference report which includes language drafted by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) to encourage the FBI to expand the availability of familial DNA testing to solve cold cases.

Read more here.

International DNA Database to Identify Trafficking Victims

An international DNA database, dubbed "DNA-Prokids," has been developed to fight human trafficking. The database will include the DNA profiles of homeless children and that of parents or family members who are missing a child.

The database was founded by Dr. Jose Lorente, of the Laboratory of Genetic Identification at the University of Granada, in Spain.
Click here to read more.

Federal bill would allow Feds to Use Familial Searching

A bill proposed by Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) would allow the Feds to use Familial DNA database searching to solve cold cases.

Schiff's bill would instruct the FBI to create a system through which a state could request a familial search of the national DNA database, expanding murder investigations that use DNA technology across state lines.

Read more here: http://ishinews.com/new-bill-would-let-feds-search-for-familial-dna-in-national-database-to-solve-cold-cases?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-bill-would-let-feds-search-for-familial-dna-in-national-database-to-solve-cold-cases

CA: Girl's Head Still Unidentified

Two years ago the severed head of a young woman was found in Barstow; the girl has still not been identified. Authorities hope familial DNA may determine who this victim is.

Read more here.

Policy implications for familial searching

Policy implications for familial searching

Joyce Kim, Danny Mammo, Marni B Siegel and Sara H Katsanis

*

Center for Genome Ethics, Law & Policy, Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy,

Duke University, Box 90141, Durham, NC 27708, USA.

*

Correspondence: sara.katsanis@duke.edu

Email addresses

JK: joyce.kim@duke.edu

DM: dam31@duke.edu

MBS: marni.siegel@duke.edu

SHK: sara.katsanis@duke.edu
http://www.investigativegenetics.com/content/pdf/2041-2223-2-22.pdf

Grim Sleeper Linked to 3 more Killings

Link reporting 6 new victims was bad.
Grim Sleeper linked to 3 more victims.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/03/grim-sleeper-case-3-more-murders-linked-to-alleged-serial-killer.html

Serial Rapist May Be Targeting Texas Sorority Alumnae

PLANO, Texas – Police are looking for a serial rapist who may be targeting sorority alumnae in at least three North Texas cities, where at least four women have been attacked in their homes by a man who reportedly claimed he knew personal details about his victims

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/25/police-say-serial-rapist-may-be-targeting-texas-sorority-alumnae/#ixzz1bpNWCWbn

Unidentified Body in Ore.

The body of a man found in Seaside, Ore. has not been identified.  The body was discovered earlier this month. The fingerprints do not match anyone in the database.  Detectives have asked the FBI and Interpol for their assistance to compare the body’s DNA and dental records with missing persons throughout the U.S.

Read more here.

Mass Bay Community College Familial DNA Debate

The Mass Bay Community College Conference on DNA and Civil Liberties II” at the college’s Wellesley Hills Campus from November 10-12, 2011 will feature a debate on Familial DNA. The conference features "the world’s most renowned forensic DNA Scientists."

Read more here.

Bradford, Conn. to develop local DNA Database

The police in Bradford, Conn. are tired of competing with crimes from large cities for resources for DNA profile processing, and will be the first city in the state to implement their own DNA database.

Read more here.

Grim Sleeper case and LAPD

The L.A. Police Department Cold Case Unit uses DNA and familial DNA searching to arrest serial killers.
Examples include the Grim Sleeper.

Read more here.

FBI DNA Database Upgrades come under fire

Proposed updates to CODIS would expand the number of genetic markers used to classify individual profiles.  In May 2010, the FBI established a six-strong working group to review the core loci used for database searches. It has now recommended the current set of 13 markers be increased to 24. The new scheme passed over markers on the Y-Chromosome that would be useful for familial DNA searching.
Read more here.

Gainsville, Fl: Serial Rapist Search

Police are searching for a rapist who attacked four women in Florida. The attacks occurred in Gainsville and Ocala.

Now, police all across the country are searching for a suspect. They've gathered DNA evidence from each of the crimes, however, officials have no significant leads.

http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/october/328851/Warning-to-women:-Possible-serial-rapist-in-Ocala

Read more here.

Lynette White case: Forensics 'led to Jeffrey Gafoor'

UK-
Familial DNA helped lead to the identification of Lynette White's killer 15 years after her death.  Gafoor admitted to the murder.

Three other men were imprisioned for the murder in 1990 and released on appeal in 1992.
Read more from the BBC.

Bundy Update: No DNA profile from 8 Year old Murder Victim

DNA evidence will not be able to determine if Ted Bundy did, in fact, kill an 8 year old girl in Tacoma, WA. 50 years ago.  Investigators were unable to create a suspect profile from the remains of the victim.

Read more here.

FL: DNA Links 5 Rapes

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —

Police say they believe the same man is responsible for five rapes in Palm Beach County since 2009.
The most recent attack was on a 22-year-old woman in Lake Worth on Sept. 23.
Read more here.

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2011/10/palm_beach_county_serial_rapist_attack_five.php

New York 2nd Degree Murder, Post Conviction DNA Testing

Shaliq Peterson, convicted of 2nd Degree Murder in New York in 1995, is  petitioning the Supreme Court in that state to have his conviction overturned.  DNA from the case does not match Peterson, or anyone else in CODIS. 

There existed at trial a significant body of forensic DNA containing evidence, including a smudged fingerprint on the murder weapon. Attorney Pascazi hopes to show that the smudged print does not match the DNA profile of either Shaliq or the victim, but does indeed match the profile of one of the nearly 10 million people, (virtually all convicted criminals) whose DNA profiles are now stored in the FBI's CODIS-NDIS database.
  
Read more here.

Familial DNA and the Oklahoma Brittany Phillips Case

Brittany Phillips was killed in Tulsa in 2004. There is DNA from the killer in the case, but no match in DNA databases. Brittany's mother, Maggie Zingman has been traveling the country in search of her daughter's killer. Now Oklahoma is considering the use of familial DNA searching in the case. 

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says it is in the early stages of evaluating familial DNA testing. Right now, OSBI is looking at the cost and what policies would need to be altered to begin that testing.
Read more here.

Jakarta Police haul in Child of Suicide Bomber

The child of a man believed to have carried out Sunday’s suicide bombing at a church in Solo has been brought in for DNA testing in the hopes of finding a match with the man, who was the sole fatality in the blast.

Read more here: Jakarta Globe Article.

Family Feud: The Familial DNA Search Controversy Continues

Kaye, Jenkins and Mercer cover familial searches for Forensic Magazine.


David Kaye is a Distinguished Professor of Law, Weiss Family Scholar, and Forensic Science Program Graduate Faculty Member at Penn State University. He is also the author of “The Double Helix and the Law of Evidence: A Scientific and Legal History.”
Stephen Mercer is the Chief Attorney for the Maryland Office of Public Defender Forensics Division and Adjunct Faculty at the David A. Clark School of Law for Forensic Scientific Evidence.
Brad Jenkins is the Biology Program Manager for the Virginia Department of Forensic Science.
A workshop featuring an international panel of law enforcement, legal, and forensic experts will discuss the issues surrounding familial searching from 8:30am to 5pm, Monday, October 3, 2011, during the 22nd International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI) in Washington D.C. Visit www.ishi22.com for more details.

15 year Jane Doe murder PA

Chester County, PA investigators are still searching for the identity of a woman found murdered 15 years ago. Her DNA has been uploaded into CODIS, but no match has been found.
Read more here.

RCMP hope Facebook page will help find relatives of missing persons

A Saskatoon  missing persons case has been highlighted on a Facebook page (facebook.com/saskatoon. hcu) in the hope that Albert Kunkel's relatives will come forward and offer DNA to help find his remains among unidentified remains. 
Those familial DNA profiles, which are kept on file, can be invaluable. "If we have found human remains and we look over our missing people, there could be say 10 potential matches for a particular case. But if we can rule five out right off the bat because we have familial DNA, that's what speeds the investigation forward," said a investigator in the case.
Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/news/RCMP+looks+Facebook/5417158/story.html#ixzz1YVfwjRVl

Rock Harmon to Speak at The Univ. of Central Okalahoma Forensic Science Inst

DNA expert and former deputy district attorney for Alameda County, Calif., Rock Harmon, will speak on September 27 at the University of Central Oklahoma about the use of familial DNA to solve crimes.

or more information, call Janie Womble, FSI administrative assistant, at 974-6911 or email her at jwomble1@uco.edu.

Click here to read the article.

Teen may be missing Santa Fe Boy

Police have collected DNA from a teen who they believe may be a boy, Robbie Romero, who went missing at age 7 in 2000. The teen's DNA will be compared to the DNA of the family from which the boy went missing.

The teenager, who goes by both Robert Romero and Robert Terrezas, says his family is from Mexico. He says  he grew up in Utah.
The Santa Fe police are being assisted by the FBI.
Read more in the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Michigan: Lansing Serial Rapist

Lansing police are still searching for a man they say is responsible for 3 rapes within a 4-month span and one mile of each other. 

A woman was assaulted Friday.  Late Friday afternoon, Mayor Virg Bernero and Police Chief Theresa Symanski announced the attack is similar to two others.
If anyone has information on the identity of the suspect in this matter, call Detective Steve McClean at 517.483.4612 or Detective Elizabeth Reust at 517.483.6860.
DNA status of the case is unknown.

Read more here.

20,000 victims family's DNA to be referenced in effort to identify missing 9/11 remains

The challenges of identifying 1121 unknown dead after events of September 11, 2011 have required new advancements in DNA technology. DNA had to be extracted from tiny samples, and many partial profiles had to be produced and compared to familial DNA reference samples. 
Read more here.

FL: Lakeland (Tampa) Brothers look for mother's killer

In 1981, Linda Slaten, a 31 year old mother of two was raped and murdered in her home.
DNA evidence from the case has been uploaded to CODIS but there has been no match.

Read more here.

Jeff and Tim Slaten's mother Linda was killed in 1981.

Cleveland man linked to 3 sexual assaults

A man who committed a sexual assault in 2010 has been linked to two other rapes, one of which was a rape/homicide, through DNA.  The first two rapes occurred in 1996 and 1997.  Police in the Cleveland Police Department are now asking for help from the public in identifying the suspect.

Click here for more.

Twin's DNA identifies unknown body

Houston- DNA from an unidentified body was entered into CODIS and identified as Paul Segura when it matched Chris Segura, Paul's living twin brother. Paul went missing in 1989 at the age of 13.
Read more here.

11 more counts added to Marc O'Leary case, Jeffco, CO

Marc O'Leary faces an additional 11 counts in connection with the assault of a 64-year old woman from Aurora. O'Leary is facing 28 other counts for the sexual assault of three other women, and the attempted sexual assault of one woman. He is also linked to a rape in Washington.

Read more here.

West Memphis 3 enter Alford plea, released

The West Memphis 3 are being released on a suspended sentence. In 2007 it was found that DNA collected at the crime scene did not match that belonging to any of the three men. In November 2010, the state Supreme Court ruled that all three could present new evidence in court.

Read the Huff Post article here.

Trial begins for suspect linked to 1967 murder through DNA of ex-wife and daughter

A trial begins today for a man accused of killing 14 year-old Eileen Adams in 1967.

DNA samples his ex-wife and their daughter were compared those samples with DNA found on Eileen Adams. Investigators said they found a match and charged him even though they had no idea where he was living or even if he was still alive.

Read more here.

J Forensic Sci. 2011 Aug 9. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01867.x. [Epub ahead of print]

Comparisons of Familial DNA Database Searching Strategies.

Ge J, Chakraborty R, Eisenberg A, Budowle B.

Source

Department of Forensic and Investigative Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107. Institute of Investigative Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107.

The current familial searching strategies are generally based on either Identity-By-State (IBS) (i.e., number of shared alleles) or likelihood ratio (i.e., kinship index [KI]) assessments. In this study, the expected IBS match probabilities given relationships and the logic of the likelihood ratio method were addressed. Further, the false-positive and false-negative rates of the strategies were compared analytically or by simulations using Caucasian population data of the 13 CODIS Short Tandem Repeat (STR).

Click here to read abstract.

Tolt Hill Jane Doe DNA

The body of a young woman, 23-25 years old, was found in Kings County, WA in 1969. She was never identified. 

Add caption

Tolt Hill Jane Doe was found in 1969.

Her body has now been exhumed so that a DNA profile can be created and entered into the database at the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, which allows loved ones of missing persons to submit reference samples of DNA for comparison to the database. Her DNA profile will also be entered into CODIS.

For more information click here.

Grim Sleeper investigators to look for connections to 250 more victims

Investigators are broadening their workload to look at additional cold cases to see if they may be connected to the Grim Sleeper.

Cmdr. Andrew Smith told The Associated Press that detectives are looking at as many as 250 unresolved files dating back to the late 1970s and early 1980s to see whether there are any links to Lonnie Franklin Jr.

Franklin has plead not guilty to all charges.  Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Read the article here.

Poor Black Female Victims

A LA Times Blogger writes about response to crimes against poor black women.

When a Serial Killer Targets Poor Black Women
by Earl Ofari Hutchinson
HuffPost
Read the article.

6 recent attacks, 2 rapes in Ann Arbor

Police are investigating a series of six attacks, two of which were rapes, in Ann Arbor that occurred between July 15 and July 26 this year. 
DNA status in the case is currently unknown.

Click here for more information.

Ted Bundy's DNA Profile

A recently discovered vile containing serial killer Ted Bundy's blood has yielded his full DNA profile. It may help link him to other murders. The vial was discovered in the Tallahassee Crime Laboratory, where it had been since 1978 when Bundy was arrested for the murder of a 12-year-old local girl.  Bundy was sent to the electric chair in 1989.

The DNA profile may help solve several cases. One is believed to be Bundy's first victim. Anne-Marie Burr, eight, disappeared from the bedroom of her home in Tacoma, Washington in 1961. Bundy grew up nearby.

"From a historical standpoint, there is this belief that Ted Bundy could be responsible," said detective Gene Miller, who leads the Tacoma Police Department's cold case unit. "It's a question that needs to be answered... Ann Marie's family wants to know. Her parents have died but her siblings still don't know what happened to their big sister."

Read more here.

FBI says DNA on tie does not match suspect in DB Cooper Case

D B Cooper Still Unsolved
The FBI says that a DNA sample lifted from a tie worn by the hijacker in the DB Cooper case does not match the current suspect. There were also two other DNA profiles on the tie.

In 1971 a highjacker jumped from a flight and paracuted to safety with $200,000 dollars in ransom; despite the fact that investigators have checked on hundreds of thousands of leads, this remains the only unsolved hijacking case in U.S. history.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2023992/DNA-test-did-match-D-B-Cooper-suspect-says-FBI.html#ixzz1Udpoij8J

Murder Victim from 1946 Identified with DNA

A young woman murdered in 1946 and found in 1971 has been identified as 25-year-old Beddie Walraven.  Crime lab scientists in California used the DNA from two living relatives of Walraven's to identify her body.

The Press Release:
Coroner case # 71-37449 UP--On January 26, 1971, skeletal remains were found scattered in the desert near Baker, California. The remains were believed to be those of a female adult. In 1975 investigators from the Santa Ana Police Department contacted the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department reporting a suspect confessed to killing Betty Walraven (also known as Betty Flemming) in May of 1946, and transporting the body to the High Desert region of San Bernardino County. In December 2005, biological samples from the skeletal remains were delivered to the California Department of Justice DNA Laboratory in Richmond, California for processing. Over the next five years the scientists at the DNA Laboratory worked tirelessly to develop a useable DNA profile from the degraded remains. In the meantime, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Coroner Division investigators were able to locate two members of Betty Walraven’s family. DNA samples were provided by these family members and reference profiles were developed for comparison with that of the remains. On June 1, 2011, the California DNA lab director notified this Division that a DNA profile had finally been developed from the remains and were found to be match to Betty Walraven.

Read more here.

Arrestee DNA Statute Struck Down in California

A law approved by California voters to collect DNA from felony arrestees was struck down by a state court of appeals on Thursday.

The First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco said DNA contains "an extraordinary amount of private personal information" not available from fingerprints. Unlike fingerprints, which are primarily used to identify suspects, DNA evidence is collected in hopes of linking arrestees to other crimes, or to crimes they might commit in the future, the court said.

The federal government and about half the states have laws allowing DNA collection from some or all arrestees.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/04/BALP1KJGRI.DTL#ixzz1UYGu5ulj

Identicle Twins Cause Confusion in Murder Case

Witnesses said they saw someone who looked just like Orlando Nembhard brandish a pistol outside a crowded nightclub and fire on a 19 year old man in the club who later died. But Orlando has an identicle twin, Brandon, who was also at the scene on that morning in February.

Read more here.

In United States v. Pool, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals wrote of familial DNA searches:

“This seems somewhat analogous to a witness looking at a photograph of one person and stating that the perpetrator has a similar appearance which leads the police to show the witness photos of similar looking individuals, one of whom the witness identifies as the perpetrator. It is questionable whether the person whose photograph helped focus the inquiry, or whose familial comparison helped focus the inquiry, has suffered any invasion of his or her constitutional right to privacy.”[1]

---

[1] United States v. Pool, 621 F. 3d 1213 (9^th Cir. 2010)

DNA but no match: Brittany Phillips 2004 Rape and Murder, OK

Caravan to Catch a Killer

Brittany Phillips was raped and murdered in Tulsa in 2004. There is DNA in the case but no DNA match in the database.

Brittany's mother, Maggie Zingman, has been traveling across the country in a pink Toyota to raise awareness about her daughter's murder.  Blood and semen were collected from Brittany's apartment. The DNA was checked against thousands in the criminal data base.

Read more here.

Rhode Island Rapist caught through DNA of his sister- Partial Match

Police in Cranston, RI believe they have arrested a man who raped an 81-year-old woman May 2nd. DNA from the crime scene was a partial match to a woman who had been incarcerated.

"As a result, the focus of the investigation shifted to any and all of the male siblings of the female who was identified as a partial match," police said.


David Finegan was arraigned Wednesday for burglary and sexual assault.

Click here to read the article.

Arkansas: West Memphis 3 - Defense files motion that DNA doesn't match

A defense motion filed this week says that newly tested DNA found at the scene where three 8 year old boys were murdered in 1993 does not belong to Damien Echols or his two co-defendants. Echols is currently on death row.

 A human hair that was discovered with one of the victim’s blue jeans and wallet doesn’t match Echols, Jason Baldwin or Jessie Misskelley Jr. and has not yet been linked to anyone.
Read more here.

Maryland: East Coast Rapist may be linked to another sex assault with DNA

Police in Greenbelt, Md. are waiting for DNA results from the state crime lab that they believe will link Aaron Thomas, the suspected East Coast Rapist, with another sexual assault in Maryland. Thomas has been linked with DNA to attacks on 17 women.

Thomas, a truck driver,  is charged with three rapes in Virginia.  He plead not guilty to another in Connecticut. A prosecutor has said Thomas likely will face trial in New Haven, Conn., on a first-degree sexual assault charge before he is tried in Virginia, according to the Associated Press.


Click here for more info.

Pima County/Tuscon 1986 Cold Case: Joan Archer

Police have DNA and fingerprints from the scene where Joan Archer, a 25 year old, was discovered after disappearing in 1986. Archer disappeared during her early morning bike ride.
"We do have DNA and fingerprints on pieces of evidence we collected from the scene. So those are currently being compared to suspects and anyone who might have been involved," said Sheriff's Detective Dan Preuss.

"You try not to take things personally, but that was a tough case," said Doug Witte, now retired, who headed the sheriff's office homicide division at the time of Archer's slaying. "The tough thing about the case is that I'm convinced who did it ... but we were never able to get enough evidence that would allow us to get an indictment. It was one of those tough cases and frustrating, very frustrating.



For more info, click here.

DNA Profile Created for Baby Horry

Police have obtained enough DNA from a dead baby boy in Horry County, South Carolina to create a DNA profile. The baby was found in a wooded area on December 4, 2008. 
The Horry County Police Department wants to remind everyone that they are still accepting any tip or information leading to the identity of Baby Boy Horry's birth parents.
The phone number to contact police at is (843)915-TIPS.
Read more here.

Farmington, Maine stabbing of 81 year old woman: No matches found in DNA search

There is no match in the DNA database for blood left at the scene of the stabbing death of 81 year old Grace Burton.
The profile has been run through state and national databases; police have also collected 170 additional DNA profiles.
Click here for more information.

A memorial of flowers lies outside Margaret Chase Smith Apartments in Farmington where Grace Burton, 81, was attacked on June 21. She later died from multiple stab wounds. No arrest had been made, as of Friday. Sun Journal

Scotland launches online murder database

"We will catch you and you will be brought to justice."
The world's first online murder database launched in Scotland earlier this month. The database, known as Operation Phoenix, tracks patterns and trends in murders to assist law enforcement in finding serial killers.
The database was inspired by Operation Trinity, a homicide database developed to examine links between a series of unsolved murders from the 1970s, including the World's End case.
It involved the compilation of data on every female murder in Scotland since 1965.

For more, click here.

Spain: Serial Rapist attacks 6th Victim

DNA links a man who has attacked 6 women since 2008 in Spain. Police there believe that he targets young women on their own in the early hours of the morning, predominantly foreign tourists walking back to their apartments or hotels.

Read more here.

California: West Covina Police Searching For Serial Rapist

West Covina police are seeking a rapist they believe committed six sexual assaults between 2000 and 2011. DNA status in this case is unknown.
The women were all walking or jogging alone when they were attacked.

Read more here.

Palm Beach: Police Seek Help Finding Violent Serial Rapist- sketch

Palm Beach Rapist: Authorities release a sketch

A man who bit, beat and raped at least four women in Palm Beach County since 2009 is still on the loose, detectives say, and they are hoping a revised sketch will help catch him.
The man attacked a woman in April.  The same man has been linked to the cases with DNA.

Read more here.

Rapist in Golden pleads not guilty

A man accused of raping women in Colorado and Washington has plead not guilty. Bail has been set at 5 million dollars. 

The 2008 victim in Washington was charged with false reporting. 

Last month CBS4 reported that O’Leary has plead not guilty to more than two dozen charges stemming from two reported rapes and an attempted attack in Lakewood.  Read more: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2011/07/11/suspected-serial-rapist-heads-to-court/

DNA links two cold cases in Texas

Two cold case slayings have been linked to the same DNA profile. The killings happened six years apart. There was no match for the DNA profiles in the DNA databases.

For more information click here.

15 year old Kristy Wesselman cold case

15 year old Kristy Wesselman was raped and murdered in 1985. The killer left DNA at the crime scene, but it has never generated a hit in state or national DNA databases. The case is still open. Read more about Kristy's cold case here.

Potomac Rapist: Website will launch to help find Mirzayan’s killer

Add caption

Investigators in D.C. are hoping that someone will visit a new website and recognize a composit sketch of the suspect in Christine Mirzayan's murder case. 

Christine Mirzayan, 28, was slain Aug. 1, 1998, in woods near Canal Road as she walked home from dinner at a friend’s house.  Police were able to connect Mirzayan’s killer to the person who committed the rapes in Montgomery through a national DNA database.


Read more about the website and DC's rapist here.
Read previous 2nd JD Blog posts about this case here.

New DNA Database for Somali Pirates

New DNA Database will catalogue pirates

The forum, the Contact Group on Piracy, in charge with countering pirates off the coast of Somalia will set up a new DNA database to catalogue these criminals. The database will be set up in 2012. The forum has 480 pirate DNA profiles to date.

Read more here.

Iowa Cold Case Unit- Have unmatched profiles, lack funding

Iowa's two person Cold Case Unit has been working under a federal grant since 2009 to solve cases going back to the 1960s.

Since that time, the unit collected data on 150 unsolved cases going back to the 1960s. The investigators prioritized 50 of them and conducted DNA analysis on 2,018 pieces of evidence.  They have created DNA profiles in 23 of these cases, checked 11 against the database, and received 2 hits.

State officials were denied the federal grant in 2010; the unit will lose one agent.


Read more: http://www.globegazette.com/news/article_d99154ce-9fa9-11e0-a3e3-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1QWFjNZEA

Washington DC area murder 1984- new DNA Evidence

Catherine Fuller, a mother of six, was killed in 1984 by a mob of young people. Of 17 young people arrested, 13 were charged in her death, with 11 being convicted or pleading guilty. Now the Innocence Project is calling for testing of evidence discovered in 2010 in a police storage facility.

"Evidence uncovered by the Innocence Project persuaded D.C. Superior Court Judge Frederick Weisberg to schedule hearings for October. He also ordered post-conviction DNA testing of physical evidence — swabs taken from the victim’s body, hairs, clothing and a metal pipe that may have been used in the attack — that was discovered in 2010 as police prepared to move to a new storage facility."

Read more here.

*Special thanks to A.V. for finding this article!

Potomac rapist may be back

The Potamac rapist operated in the 1990's in the DC area. In 2009, DNA linked him to the murder of a biochemistry student. 
"In the Potomac Rapist, detectives have painted a chilling portrait of a skilled burglar who, despite the populated communities he targeted, stalked his victims for days before breaking into their homes and waiting for them. As his perverse appetites grew, he became more brazen. And as news spread, his attacks seemed to become more violent and theatrical. He would try to engage his victims in a perverse form of pillow talk, asking them about their own previous sexual encounters while he raped them."

• The first rape occurred in May 1991 in a new housing development in North Potomac.
• In November 1991, he attacked an anesthesiologist in Bethesda, Maryland, gaining entrance through a second-floor window and hiding until she came home.
• A month later, he returned again to the North Potomac site and attacked another woman whose husband was away on a business trip.
• A month later and a block away from the last attack, he barged into the basement apartment of a live-in housekeeper less than 20 minutes after her employers left to go to a movie. But this time, the victim fought back. His rape attempt was foiled, but he viciously beat her with a portable stereo before fleeing.
• The attacks abruptly ended until 1994. Then, he attacked a mother of two who lived near a new housing development.
• After another lengthy break he resurfaced again in February 1997 in a middle-class suburb of Montgomery County and attacked a 19-year-old in the kitchen of her townhouse. Before he left, he snatched a $100 bill from her birthday card.
• Nine months later, the Potomac Rapist assaulted his last victim in Maryland, and eight months after that, he killed Mirzayan, a newly married intern with a promising future in biochemistry.

Read The Daily Beast Article.

Santa Fe: Suspect excluded with DNA

Police in Santa Fe say DNA testing has excluded their suspect in the rape and murder cases of  Susan Laporte and Maria Padilla in 1985.

DNA confirms that Luna did not kill 2 women in New Mexico.

Police said In 1987 Kenneth Ray Luna confessed to Utah authorities that he'd raped and killed women in New Mexico. Luna drew up a map that pinpointed where he had dumped the body of one of the victim’s. It led detectives to the outskirts of Santa Fe County. Police said the woman, believed to be a third victim, had been raped and strangled to death.
Luna was extradited back to New Mexico. However, before he could step foot inside a courtroom the suspected killer hanged himself inside his jail cell.

Police posthumously tested Luna's DNA. The DNA test excluded him from the murders. 

For more information click: here.

Brooklyn Serial Rapist- DNA status unknown

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN (WPIX)—

Cops have released a sketch of a serial rapist on Monday who has preyed on at least four women in Sunset Park, Brooklyn since March 2011.
The status of DNA in the case is unknown.

Read more here.

Ill. Defense Attorneys push for Familial

NBC Chicago reports that Juan Rivera, a convicted murderer, and his defense team are pushing for Familial DNA testing in his case.
The AG of Ill. says the privacy concerns of familial are outweighed by familial's ability to catch criminals.

Read the NBC Chicago Report.

Rivera is in prison for the murder of Holly Staker.

Police Turn To Familial DNA With Hopes Of Capturing ‘Fairmount Rapist’

Texas

 

Daytona Beach interested in Familial DNA search: serial killer case

Daytona Beach has expressed interest in joining Colorado, California and Virginia in using familial DNA searching to find a serial killer. The killer left DNA at two crime scenes, but that DNA profile does not match any profile in the Florida or National DNA databases.

"Morrissey, the Denver district attorney, said he would bring the software here and install it at no cost for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. However, the state agency is looking at several options "across the board" when it comes to familial DNA searches, said FDLE spokeswoman Heather Smith on Monday. "

Reach more: http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2011/05/11/daytona-police-pursue-databank-to-find-suspects-using-dna-of-relative.html

Ravalli County, MT Unidentified Body, DNA no match

 Stevensville, MT Human Remains unidentified

The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office now has a DNA sample from human remains discovered last summer on the north flank of St. Mary Peak.

The DNA does not match "anyone in the national missing person's database."


Burlingham believes the victim probably died between 2004 and 2009.

This sheriff's office has already used Mito to identify a missing person (a hunter who had been missing for 30 years was identified in 2001).

Read more: http://www.ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_7d8d1ac8-7aa6-11e0-adc1-001cc4c03286.html

Florida: 21 year old cold case- Have DNA from crime scene, no match

Murder of Boy and Woman in Cape Coral, Fl

Investigators in Cape Coral, Fl are still investigating a 21 year old cold case, the murders of eleven year old Robin Cornell and 32 year old Lisa Story. The two were killed in their apartment in Cape Coral in the early morning hours of May 10, 1990.

Investigators have a DNA profile from the crime scene, but no match. 

 Read more: http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2011-05-10/21-year-old-case-is-cold-but-not-inactive#ixzz1Lzrf4vhO

Palm Beach to exume bodies to identify

The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office is exuming several unidentified bodies to try to identify them with DNA using funds from a federal grant.
These bodies were buried prior to the use of DNA technology.

"Two men and a woman found in the early 1980s were killed execution-style, shot in the back of the head and dumped off of Southern Boulevard near 20-Mile Bend. They are believed to be Marielitos, Cubans who left Cuba in the 1980 Mariel boatlift."

Read more: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-bodies-exhumed-20110509,0,7341218.story

Minn. may use Familial DNA searching

Minn. May allow Familial

 Minn. seeks to use familial DNA but with limitations on its use.

"Minnesota law enforcement authorities understandably want to use this valuable investigative technique to solve crimes here, and they should be able to do so -- within certain limits.
Authorities likely don't need a state law to begin using it, but, to their credit, they are calling for a law that not only authorizes the technique's use but puts much-needed restrictions on its use. They also are welcoming the high-profile debate that their push for the law has spurred.
While familial DNA can help solve difficult crimes, its use carries legitimate privacy and civil-rights concerns."
 http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/119506679.html

California to increase funding for familial

California to double budget for familial DNA

LA Times Blog
Although such genetic sleuthing, known as familial searching, remains controversial — California is one of only three states that permit the technique — Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris has increased the budget to double the number of such searches and reduce a DNA backlog.

"California is on the cutting edge of this in many ways," Harris, who replaced Jerry Brown as the state's top law enforcement officer in January, said in an interview last week. "I think we are going to be a model for the country. I really do."

California's early success with familial searching — it led to the arrest of the suspect in the Grim Sleeper serial killings last summer — has spurred calls for using the science to trace criminals nationwide. Virginia recently joined California and Colorado in permitting such searches.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-familial-dna-20110509,0,6798427.story

PHX Sgt. Death

 Phoenix police related documents Friday about the death of a police sergeant.


"DNA has been tested, but Knott said they have not matched any "critical DNA." Police said identifying some DNA evidence at the death scene is a priority.
According to Knott, Drenth's death may remain "unknown for possibly forever until [police] get other questions answered."

For more information: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/phoenix-police-release-nearly-600-pages-in-drenth-death-investigation

Utah prosecutors file a charge against John Doe DNA profile

Utah prosecutors have filed murder charges against a John Doe DNA profile for the deaths of a woman and her unborn son.

This is believed to be connected to the "Feb. 9th Murders."

Victims:
Sonia Mejia, 29, who was six months pregnant, was strangled to death inside her Taylorsville apartment at 1167 W. Clubhouse Drive (4000 South) on Feb. 9, 2006. She was the first victim of what became known as the "February 9th murders."
On the same date, exactly two years later and just a short distance away from where Mejia was killed, Damiana Castillo, 57, also was strangled inside her apartment near 4000 South and Redwood Road.

Read more: http://www.deseretnews.com/mobile/article/700008366/Charges-filed-in-2006-Taylorsville-slaying-John-Doe-suspect-is-DNA-profile.html

Sherry Black Murder- Utah

 DNA Recovered in Sherry Black killing
Utah

 The killer of bookseller Sherry Black hurt his/her hand and now police have a DNA sample.


http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51514774-76/black-police-miller-lake.html.csp

Goleta Couple Slayings linked to Serial Killer- CA

1981 Slayings Linked with DNA

"While investigators have enough to profile the killer -- dubbed the Original Night Stalker to distinguish him from Richard Ramirez, the serial killer known as the Night Stalker in the 1980s -- they do not know where he might be, if he’s still alive."

LA Times: Read More: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/05/goleta-slayings-serial-killer.html

Elbert County- have DNA but no match

Murder of Kiowa Teacher still unsolved

• They have a partial DNA profile but no match-
• Just located the witness they believe was the last to see the victim with the help of the news media.

Elbert County Sheriff Shayne Heap released new information, Friday, tracking the killer of a local high school teacher found dead last summer. They have new DNA evidence and contact with possibly the last person to see Randall Wilson alive.
It’s been ten months since the body of Randall Wilson was found with a bag over his head, his hands bound behind him, and dumped off the side of a road in Elbert County.
Investigators have had little to go on since June; until this week, when the state crime lab found a lead.
“From the evidence collected, we’ve obtained an unidentified DNA source,” says Elbert County Sheriff Shayne Heap, but he says it hasn’t matched up with anyone.

 http://coloradospringsrelocation.org/local-news/new-info-in-the-investigation-of-murdered-teacher/

 

 

7NEWS Finds Piano Tuner Wanted As Poss. Witness

Krista Coppedge Was At Same Gas Station As Kiowa Teacher Randy Wilson

 http://www.helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?p=828889

Harringtons look to familial dna

Harrington: Familial DNA Could Catch Morgan’s Killer

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Adam Rhew

Dan Harrington believes landmark DNA technology could help investigators connect the dots in the search for his daughter’s murderer.
“With luck and science we hope that the person who killed our daughter will be brought to justice,” Harrington told members of the Virginia Crime Commission yesterday.
Morgan Harrington disappeared in October, 2009, after a concert in Charlottesville. A farmer discovered her body in a rural portion of Albemarle County Jan. 26.
Police have linked DNA from her body to an unsolved sexual assault that happened in Fairfax five years ago. But so far, investigators have been unable to match the sample to a name.
That’s where familial DNA could help.

http://nbc29.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/harrington-familial-dna-could-catch-morgans-killer/

Megeann Paul

Cops close to cracking 1994 cold case

The murder of Megeann Paul has remained a mystery

Updated: Friday, 29 Apr 2011, 10:56 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 29 Apr 2011, 4:45 PM EDT

• Reporting By: Kathryn Sotnik

WOONSOCKET, R.I. (WPRI) - Carolyn Paul was only 18-months-old when her mother, Megeann, was brutally murdered in March of 1994.
"I wish I had known her," Carolyn said. "It's hard not knowing how my life would have been."
The body of 26-year-old Megeann Paul was found in her third floor apartment inside a Woonsocket rooming house. Police tell us she was stabbed to death.

Read More: http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/blackstone/woonsocket-cold-case-murder-of-megeann-paul

No Match for DNA - Rape in Conn

West Hartford Police: DNA Evidence On Rape Victim Gets No Match

October 29, 2010|By KIM VELSEY and CHRISTINE DEMPSEY, kvelsey@courant.com

Evidence taken from a woman who was raped on Fern Street Thursday morning does not match any DNA in the Connecticut database, including DNA from a man wanted in a series of rapes on the East Coast, according to police.
"It was not a match for any other cases in the state," said West Hartford Police Chief James Strillacci.
"That guy is not our guy," he said, referring to a man known as the East Coast rapist, who has committed 17 rapes over 13 years, including several in New Haven and Rhode Island and many in southern coastal states.
The DNA test results were returned two days after the woman was grabbed from behind during an early morning run and raped in the bushes in front of a home on the residential street, police said.
http://articles.courant.com/2010-10-29/community/hc-west-hartford-rape-1030-20101029_1_attacker-dna-west-hartford-police

09 No match for DNA on torture victim underwear

KNOXVILLE - A specialized test shows sperm found on a pair of torture-slaying victim Channon Christian's underwear does not match the DNA of any defendants or suspects in the case or the DNA of boyfriend and fellow slaying victim Chris Newsom.
The Virginia lab's results were made public tonight. For now, the sperm source remains unknown.

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9017499

Flushings serial attacker-DNA status unknown

Police seeking serial Flushing sex attacker

By Connor Adams Sheets
Thursday, April 28, 2011 1:45 PM EDT

Police were asking Tuesday for the public’s help in locating a man wanted in connection with a spree of violent sexual assaults in Flushing.

The fourth attack to fit the characteristics of the series of crimes took place just last week, months after the first incident, according to police.

All of the assaults occurred late at night or early in the morning and targeted Asian females in their 20s and 30s, police said.

The assailant, wanted for approaching all four of his victims from behind and sexually assaulting them before fleeing, is described as a 5-foot-5, 140 pound, 30-year-old Hispanic man with black hair, according to police.

The first incident took place at about 10:10 p.m. Sept. 22 at the intersection of 28th Street and 34th Avenue. The 37-year-old victim received injuries to her head and face, police said.
 http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2011/04/29/queens/qns_109th_attacks_20110428.txt

AK 1993 Raper Murder Cold Case

Sophie Sergie was raped and murdered in 1993. Investigators have a DNA sample but no match.

By JAMES HALPIN

Published: April 25th, 2009 09:13 PM
Last Modified: April 26th, 2009 10:08 PM

........Armed with that information, a DNA sample from the killer and sophisticated testing methods not available in 1993, investigators from the cold case unit are renewing their pleas for people who were there the night she died to come forward.

The reinvigorated effort is welcome, said Elena Sergie, Sophie's mother, who along with family friend Leslie Hunter planned to travel to Fairbanks this weekend to attend an annual memorial service for Sophie and other victims of unsolved murders.

"She needs closure. She needs closure," Hunter said in a sometimes tearful interview in their Anchorage condo. "I live with her, and she's hard to live with sometimes."

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2009/04/25/773186/cold-case-review-finds-new-lead.html#ixzz1KxZjl9wA

Rapists assaults another young girl in Phoenix

His weapon is a knife; his target, young girls on the way to or from school. Phoenix Police believe a series of three sexual assaults that occurred in November 2010 and again yesterday, April 25, 2011 were committed by the same suspect. The attacks span an area bordered by Baseline Road to Southern and 19th Avenue to 7th Street. A number of schools are located throughout the area.
Yesterday’s attack was on a 17 year-old girl who was walking to school around 7 a.m. in the area of 7th Street and Baseline Road. The earlier attacks in November 2010 involved 10 and 12 year-old girls. In each case, the suspect approached the girls on foot, produced a knife and then forced them into a vacant house where they were sexually assaulted.



http://phoenix.gov/POLICE/serial_rapist1.html