DNA Identification

General Information

DNA collection and analysis gives the criminal justice field a powerful tool for convicting the guilty and exonerating the innocent. Procedural improvements have made the collection of DNA evidence more efficient and reliable, and advances in science allow forensic scientists to identify DNA samples from hair, bone, and ever smaller amounts of blood and other body fluids.

Using DNA Databases

The development and expansion of databases that contain DNA profiles at the local, State, and national levels have greatly enhanced law enforcement's ability to solve cases with DNA. Convicted offender databases store hundreds of thousands of potential suspect DNA profiles against which DNA profiles developed from crime scene evidence can be compared.

Given the recidivistic nature of many crimes, a likelihood exists that the individual who committed the crime being investigated was convicted of a similar crime and already has his or her DNA profile in a DNA database that can be searched by the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Moreover, CODIS also permits the cross-comparison of DNA profiles developed from biological evidence found at crime scenes. Even if a perpetrator is not identified through the database, crimes may be linked to each other, thereby aiding an investigation, which may eventually lead to the identification of a suspect.

Solving Cold Cases

Every law enforcement department throughout the country has unsolved cases that could be solved through recent advancements in DNA technology. Today, investigators who understand which evidence may yield a DNA profile can identify a suspect in ways previously seen only on television. See the Denver DA's DNA Cold Case Project to learn how one jurisdiction has tackled this problem.

Evidence invisible to the naked eye can be the key to solving a residential burglary, sexual assault, or murder. The saliva on the stamp of a stalker's threatening letter, the perspiration on a rapist's mask, or the skin cells shed on the ligature of a strangled child may hold the key to solving a crime. See DNA Captures "Night Stalker" and DNA from Ligature Solves Rape Case for examples.

Without the investigator's understanding of DNA technology and where DNA might be found, the case may have gone unsolved. The successful review and investigation of unsolved cases require the same basic elements as the investigation of new cases: cooperation among law enforcement, the crime laboratory, and the prosecutor's office. Investigators should be aware of technological advances in DNA testing that may yield profiles where previous testing was not performed or was unsuccessful. The crime laboratory can be essential to the preliminary review of unsolved cases, for example, by providing investigators with laboratory reports from previous testing and consultation regarding the investigative value of new DNA analysis techniques and DNA database search capabilities. Additionally, the prosecutor's office should be involved as soon as a case is reopened so that legal issues are addressed appropriately. It is also extremely important that case reconstruction considers the victim or victim's family and the importance of finality to closing a case.

Solving Property Crimes

Property crime offenders have high recidivism rates, their crime and violence can escalate, and property crime cases often go unsolved. It has been estimated that each burglar in the top 10 percent of burglars commits more than 232 burglaries per year. Several police departments in the United States are finding that they may be able to change these trends. When they analyze DNA from a burglary, they get evidence that often solves several other cases as well. And they are finding that biological evidence collected from property crime scenes can prevent future property crimes and more serious offenses.

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Fees

$450.00

Specimen Requirements

Buccal swab; 10cc Lavender

Turnaround Time

4-7 days, up to 10 days for complex analysis

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Learning Center

>Science of DNA Paternity and Molecular Tecnology