Simplifying Statistics in Forensic DNA: An Interview with Mike Coble
In this interview, Travis talks with Mike Coble, Associate Professor and the Associate Director of the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Mike has attended ISHI since 1998 and has been sharing his knowledge on probabilistic genotyping and statistics with attendees as a presenter. […]
Meet the ISHI Advisory Committee: Dr. Nicole Novroski
As you’ve heard, the ISHI planning team has expanded by six members as we’ve formed an inaugural advisory committee. The committee was formed to steer the content and format of the annual symposium to reflect the interests of the diverse stakeholders in the forensic science community. We will be conferring with the advisory committee throughout […]
The Missing Piece Episode 11: Marlene Standridge (Gwinnett Jane Doe)
Marlene Standridge disappeared in the early 1970’s, leaving her family no idea where she had gone or what had happened to her. In 1982, human remains were discovered in the woods in unincorporated Stone Mountain, Georgia. Authorities believed the remains had been in the woods for 6-10 years, but were unable to identify […]
Lessons Learned Over 24 Years at the NYC OCME
Mark Desire thought his time at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner would be a year or less while he waited for the next FBI academy. 24 years later, he is now the Assistant Director of the lab and the manager of the World Trade Center casework samples identification unit. In […]
The Missing Piece Episode 10: Gordon Edwin Sanderson (Septic Tank Sam)
An unknown homicide victim had been tortured, mutilated, and shot twice before being dumped into an abandoned 6-foot-deep septic tank earning him the moniker “Septic Tank Sam”. Due to the condition of his remains, he went unidentified for over 40 years, but is now known to be Gordon Edwin Sanderson of Edmonton, Canada. […]
The “Maryland Mystery Lady”: an Interview with Ivy Cheung, DNA Labs International
Ivy Cheung of DNA Labs International tells Travis about the “Maryland Mystery Lady.” Archaeologist Julie Schablitsky and her team discovered dozens of graves left behind during their cemetery relocation project in the abandoned Simon Hill Cemetery located in Hyattsville, Maryland. One of these graves held an airtight metal casket that contained a perfectly preserved […]
Meet ISHI Exhibitors: DNA Labs International
Travis sits down with Rachel and Tara from DNA Labs International to discuss how introductions made on the exhibit floor at ISHI led to career opportunities and bringing the latest technologies in-house. They also touch on the critical function DNA plays in an investigation and trial, the number of times Rachel has been called […]
Developing A Forensically Relevant Single-Cell Pipeline for Human Identification
Often, when crime scene samples are brought to the lab for DNA analysis, it is discovered that more than one person has contributed to the sample, creating a mixture. Interpreting mixture samples from a bulk pipeline is arduous, and the resulting electropherogram profiles are sometimes so complex as to require significant computational power to […]
Lessons Learned from Implementing and Operating a Rapid DNA Program on the United States Border
Since early 2018, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has encountered a migration crisis at the southern border, including an increase in fraudulent family relationship claims. To help address this, Bode Technology developed, deployed, and operated a wide-ranging program for DHS to utilize Rapid DNA to identify and deter possible child trafficking by identifying fraudulent […]
