No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door!
Medical Examiners Use Rapid DNA to Identify Victims (Forensic Magazine – 12/8/2017)
- In late November 2017, the Massachusetts Office of Chief Medical Examiner (MAOCME) issued their first official identification of a deceased person based on the accredited use of Rapid DNA in their lab. This represents the successful transition of Rapid DNA to a state agency as well as a successful modification and use of the AABB (formerly American Association of Blood Banks) Standards for accreditation of Rapid DNA for relationship testing.
Governor Cuomo Signs Otis/Savino Missing Persons Bill (New Rochelle Talk – 12/10/2017)
- Legislation to require that reports of missing children and adults filed in New York be transmitted to the National Missing and Unidentified Remains System (NamUs) was signed into law by the Governor on November 29. The legislation, A8286B/S6739, was sponsored by Assemblyman Steve Otis (91st AD, Westchester County) and Senator Diane Savino (23rd SD, Staten Island).
Search for Missing Migrants: Families Hope DNA Will Guide Them to Lost Loved Ones (The Washington Post – 12/11/2017)
- The Colibri Center for Human Rights, a Tucson-based nonprofit organization that is traveling across the country to collect genetic material from family members of the missing.
How a Victim’s Last Meal Can Identify a Killer (Atlas Obscura – 12/12/2017)
To solve crimes, two botanists identify half-digested potatoes, tomatoes, and lettuce under a microscope.
China Collecting DNA, Biometrics from Millions in Xinjiang: Report (CNN – 11/28/2017)
Authorities in China’s far-west are collecting DNA samples, fingerprints, eye scans and blood types of millions of people aged 12 to 65, according to a new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report.
Dutch Police Make Arrest in Cold Case Murder After Mass DNA Collection from Over 100 Men (Forensic Magazine – 12/13/2017)
- The man accused of raping and stabbing Milica van Doorn before dumping her body in a pond in the city of Zaandam in the Netherlands was one of only two men who refused to give a DNA sample after police asked 133 men to volunteer, but was discovered through a relative who did volunteer, according to DutchNews.
Scientists Shoot Human Heads Filled with Cow Blood for Science (Gizmodo – 12/13/2017)
- Benjamine Spencer is serving a life sentence for a violent crime he insists he didn’t commit. But he lacks biological evidence—and old-fashioned detective work may not be enough to clear his name.
Argentina: DNA Reunites Thousands After ‘Dirty War’ (Al Jazeera – 12/13/2017)
- In Argentina, DNA technology is helping thousands of families to reunite with their missing relatives. – VIDEO
State Crime Lab Braces for Impact of New DNA Profiling Law (WTHR – 12/14/2017)
- Indiana lawmakers are expecting more criminal cases solved next year.Starting in January, suspects arrested on probable cause for any felony charge will open themselves to scrutiny in other cases, thanks to Indiana’s new DNA profiling legislation.
DNA Analysis Finds Descendants of ‘Warriors of the Clouds’ in Peru (Forensic Magazine – 12/14/2017)
- The Chachapoyas, the “Warriors of the Clouds,” were a people that lived in the northern elevations of Peru, and put up a long-running struggle against the Inca Empire, which they eventually lost. Traditional tales told to the first Spanish conquerors of the New World about a century after their final defeat held that the Inca forcibly relocated the Chachapoyas to the corners of the massive empire, so they could never again pose a threat.
A DNA Revolution: Massively Parallel Sequencing (WTHR – 12/14/2017)
- Indiana lawmakers are expecting more criminal cases solved next year.Starting in January, suspects arrested on probable cause for any felony charge will open themselves to scrutiny in other cases, thanks to Indiana’s new DNA profiling legislation.
Irish Ancestry Surprises Revealed by New DNA Map (National Geographic – 12/14/2017)
- A new “DNA atlas” of Ireland is revealing some of the surprising ways historic kingdoms have influenced populations on the island—and it offers the first genetic evidence that Vikings intermingled with ancient Irish peoples.
New DNA Evidence Leads to Arrest in 1980 Slaying of 14-year-old Babysitter (Los Angeles Times – 12/14/2017)
- It’s been almost four decades since 14-year-old Suzanne Bombardier was abducted and killed while babysitting, and ever since then the identity of her killer has remained a mystery.Or at least that was the case until this week, when Antioch police said new DNA evidence has led to the arrest of her suspected killer.
Does a Secret New York DNA Database Violate Civil Rights? (WNYC – 12/14/2017)
- New York police and crime lab officials faced tough questions Thursday about whether a large, unregulated DNA database, built in part to solve more gun cases, violates the civil rights of the people whose profiles are in it.
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