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!
DNA Match Solves Decades-Old Mystery of ‘Angel Baby’ Found in River (KFOX14 – 12/12/2024)
A breakthrough in a nearly three-decade-old cold case has linked 44-year-old Therese Purdy to the death of an infant found in Fowl River in 1995. The case, which had gone unsolved for years, involved the discovery of a newborn’s body near Old Pascagoula Road in Mobile County. Investigators had named the child “Angel Baby.”
The infant’s body was exhumed two years ago for a forensic examination by genealogy expert Olivia McCarter and Moxxy Forensic Investigations. Their work led to a DNA match with Purdy, providing the break that detectives had been seeking for 29 years.
Prince William County Police Department Teams with Othram to Identify a 1990 John Doe (DNASolves – 12/14/2024)
In May 1990, the remains of an unidentified man were discovered in Woodbridge, Virginia in a wooded area off Fitzhugh Lane. Woodbridge is located 20 miles south of Washington, D.C. in Prince William County, Virginia. Investigators described the man as being White, between 40 and 50 years old, 5’10” tall, and 197 pounds. It was determined that the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The man could not be identified and details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP6474. A forensic sketch depicting the man’s identity was developed and released to the public in hopes that it would aid in his identification.
In December 2023, Prince William County Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas, in hopes that advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy could help generate new leads and assist with identifying the unknown man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
These new leads enabled a follow-up investigation into the man’s identity. Potential relatives of the man were identified. As a result of this investigation, Prince William County John Doe is now known to be Raymond Smith Martin, who was born on April 9, 1936.
Efforts Underway to Identify Dozens of Unidentified Remains at King County Medical Examiner’s Office (K5 – 12/15/2024)
Forensic anthropologists, medical examiners, and sketch artists at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office are working tirelessly to solve one of the most pressing questions in their field: Who are they?
The office currently holds approximately 56 unidentified remains from individuals who died in King County or whose bodies were discovered in the area. While many of these individuals led lives that were once intertwined with society, their deaths have left them virtually invisible. Dr. Matthew Lacy, the county’s medical examiner, explained that identifying the deceased is the office’s top priority.
“The goal is to have zero unidentified cases,” Lacy said. “But it can take decades in some cases.”
In 2023 alone, over 2,500 deaths were investigated at the office, with most individuals identified. However, a smaller group of cases presents significant challenges, especially when remains are skeletal or decomposed. Forensic staff are hopeful that DNA testing and detailed forensic reconstructions will help bring answers to families who are still searching for their missing loved ones.
Proposed ‘Carla Walker Act’ Could Fund Advanced DNA Testing to Solve Cold Cases (NBCDFW5 – 12/15/2024)
A backlog of over 1,000 unsolved cold cases sits in the Fort Worth Police Department’s Cold Case Unit. Now, a proposed bipartisan bill could help provide the funding needed to solve these cases and bring closure to families of lost and missing loved ones.
The Carla Walker Act, introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R- Texas) and Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont), is named after Fort Worth murder victim Carla Walker. Walker was 17 years old when she was abducted, held captive, sexually assaulted and eventually murdered in 1974. In 2020, 46 years after her death, a suspect was identified using advanced forensic analysis. Glen McCurley, the suspect, would plead guilty to her murder less than a year later.
The bill would provide funding to police agencies for the same advanced testing used in Walker’s case. Several cases across North Texas have been solved using these methods that allow scientists to examine DNA samples more closely and search for family members that may share that DNA. This allows for investigators to build family trees that can lead to suspects.
Nearly $4 Million to Start Cold Case Project, Continue Investigations in Dallas (Forensic – 12/16/2024)
Dallas County Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot is proud to announce the award of two significant federal grants totaling $3,866,232 to enhance justice for victims of violent crimes. The grants include $2,366,241 to establish the Dallas County Cold Case Initiative Project and $1,499,991 to continue funding the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). Together, these grants will fully fund these critical programs for the next three years, reinforcing Dallas County’s commitment to solving cold cases and providing justice for survivors of violent crimes.
“This grant money will allow us to apply more resources to solve more violent crimes and solve them faster than ever before,” said Creuzot. “This is an incredibly profound time for the people of Dallas County to finally get justice for some of the worst crimes committed against our citizens.”
The creation of the Cold Case Initiative Project will divide responsibilities between two dedicated units: the SAKI Unit, which will continue to handle cold case sexual assaults, both fatal and non-fatal, and the soon-to-be-formed Cold Case Homicide Unit, which will focus exclusively on unsolved murders.
Suspect in 1996 Killing Arrested, Charged Thanks to DNA: Ottawa Police (CBC – 12/16/2024)
Ottawa police say advances in DNA technology helped them find, arrest and charge a suspect in a 1996 stabbing death on the Portage Bridge.
At a news conference Monday, Deputy Chief Trish Ferguson said 73-year-old Lawrence Diehl, who was living in Vancouver, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder last week for the death of Christopher Smith.
The victim was crossing the Portage Bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., early on April 12, 1996, with a cousin when he got into an altercation and was stabbed, police said. Smith was later pronounced dead at a Gatineau hospital.
Ferguson said advances in genetic genealogy, or building potential family trees using DNA, helped lead investigators to the breakthrough. She declined to share more details.
Remains found in 2012 Identified by DNA Doe Project (DNA Doe Project – 12/17/2024)
Skeletal remains recovered in Elizabethtown in 2012 have been identified as Mitchell Mendelson, who lived in the area before he died. Mendelson grew up in New York State, and had lived in Alabama, Virginia, and Massachusetts earlier in his life.
When investigators recovered remains near the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown in November, 2012, they were unable to immediately identify the man wearing a camouflage t-shirt and jeans. The case went cold, and it would be more than a decade until the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office decided to work with DNA Doe Project to try investigative genetic genealogy to identify the John Doe.
Prior DNA analysis had been completed, so the laboratory process to develop a DNA profile to upload to GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA was completed quickly and the team of five DNA Doe Project volunteers worked 80 hours over 4 days to find Mendelson’s branch of the family tree.
The initial assessment of John Doe’s genetic ancestry showed that the case would be a challenge – he was 100% Ashkenazi Jewish. Genetic genealogy is more difficult with the Ashkenazi Jewish population due to many previous generations of marriage within the same community.
“When we see Jewish DNA in the profile, we try to assign specialist genetic genealogists to the case,” said Executive Director of Case Management Jennifer Randolph. “Adina Newman set up a strategy that had the team focus on the one top match – a strategy that proved to be very effective in this case.”
Building a family tree from the critical third cousin match took researchers back to Mendelson’s great-great-grandparents, and from there they researched the descendants of those 16 people until they found a few important clues. One of those descendants, Mitchell Mendelson, was in the right place within the family tree, had lived in Elizabethtown, and also matched the gender, age, religion, and physical characteristics of the John Doe.
“We were fortunate that the closest DNA relative to our John Doe was a genealogy buff and family historian who had done a very comprehensive and accurate family tree,” said volunteer investigative genetic genealogist Rich Capen.
Mendelson was a columnist for the Birmingham Post Herald in Alabama, and appeared on an episode of The Alabama Experience on public television in 1992. It’s unclear what drew him back north to Elizabethtown. He was about 60 years old when he died.
The DNA Doe Project is grateful to the groups and individuals who helped solve this case: the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office, who entrusted the case to the DNA Doe Project; The Center for Human Identification at University of North Texas for DNA extraction; Astrea Forensics for sample prep for whole-genome sequencing; Azenta Life Sciences for whole-genome sequencing; Kevin Lord for bioinformatics; GEDmatch Pro, FTDNA for providing their databases; our generous donors who joined our mission and contributed to this case; and DDP’s dedicated teams of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists who work tirelessly to bring all our Jane and John Does home.
Forensic Science Leads to Identification of Man Found Dead in 1980 (California Statewide Law Enforcement Association – 12/17/2024)
On December 16, 2024, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office announced the identity of a man found dead on February 2, 1980 along a creek bed in Benicia. The body was identified only as an adult male and became known as John Doe #3 (1980). The investigation into John Doe’s identity and the circumstances surrounding his death continued for several months, but he was ultimately laid to rest without being identified. The investigation did reveal he died as a result of corrosive esophagitis, which results from ingesting a chemical substance not meant for human consumption.
In July of 2023, as part of the Doe Cold Case Project, the body of John Doe #3 (1980) was exhumed, and the investigation into his identity and the circumstances surrounding his death was re-opened.
After 44 years, through the use of facial reconstruction, new DNA testing, and forensic genetic genealogy, the John Doe #3 (1980) was positively identified as Donald Gene Horecka, 25, of Las Vegas. Horecka went missing from Nevada sometime in the late 1970s to early 1980.
Unraveling Mysteries: the Role of Forensic Science in Conservation and Criminal Justice (Arizona State University – 12/17/2024)
Forensic science is where meticulous investigation meets groundbreaking technology. It unravels the complexities of human and animal-borne biological evidence to solve criminal and civil cases. Forensic research transcends the boundaries of anthropology, biology/DNA analysis, chemistry, computational/digital, engineering, odontology, pathology, and toxicology, from solving cases to building comprehensive reference human and non-human DNA databases for identification, comparisons and statistical estimations.
In this insightful interview, Professor Sreetharan Kanthaswamy, a leading expert at Arizona State University’s School of Interdisciplinary Forensics, delves into the dynamic world of forensic DNA analysis. He shares how his pioneering work in wildlife genetics evolved into using DNA evidence to crack criminal cases, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, innovation, and ethical diligence. Whether identifying trafficked orangutans or solving crimes with animal and human evidence, Professor Kanthaswamy’s expertise highlights the profound impact of forensic science on our criminal justice system and our wildlife conservation efforts.
This conversation illuminates the realities of the field, demystifying the romanticized TV portrayals and uncovering the rigorous dedication required to advance forensic practices.
DNA Doe Project identifies John Doe found in Minnesota in 1985 (DNA Doe Project – 12/18/2024)
Nearly 40 years after the body of a man was discovered in an abandoned building in St. Paul, the DNA Doe Project has identified him as Frank Nicholas Augenti. Born in 1951 in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, Augenti was 33 years old at the time of his death, and his last known address was in New York City.
On February 7, 1985, the frozen remains of Caucasian man between 20-40 years old were found on the second floor of the abandoned JJ Hill Building in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was 5’ 11” and 180 pounds. The man was believed to have been homeless, and he died of exposure weeks to months prior to being discovered.
With no clues as to his identity, the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office brought this case to the DNA Doe Project, whose expert volunteer investigative genetic genealogists work pro bono to identify John and Jane Does. A team began working on this case in May 2024 and, after just two days of research, they honed in on the identity of the John Doe.
“It was immediately clear from the DNA results that the unidentified man had Italian heritage,” said Sara Hoffman, team co-leader. “When we came across Frank Augenti, we saw that all four of his grandparents had immigrated to America from Italy.”
Further research into Frank Augenti revealed that he had dropped off the radar in the 1980s, and the team on this case found further evidence to suggest that he could be Hill Building John Doe. His name was presented to the medical examiner’s office and, in August 2024, this identification was confirmed.
“We were very fortunate that a cousin had chosen to upload their DNA results to GEDmatch,” said Lisa Ivany, team co-leader. “Without their DNA, this case would still be unsolved. Italian Americans are underrepresented on the DNA databases we have access to, but the more that people upload their DNA results to GEDmatch, FTDNA or DNA Justice, the more cases we’ll be able to solve.”
The DNA Doe Project is grateful to the groups and individuals who helped solve this case: the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office, who entrusted the case to the DNA Doe Project; Astrea Forensics for library preparation; Azenta Life Sciences for sequencing; Kevin Lord of Saber Investigations for bioinformatics; GEDmatch Pro for providing their database; audiochuck, the parent company of the Crime Junkie Podcast, and 8 individual donors for providing funding for this case; and DDP’s dedicated teams of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists who work tirelessly to bring all our Jane and John Does home.
From Conflict to Closure: The Role of AI in Identifying and Honouring the Deceased (Lieber Institute West Point – 12/18/2024)
The loss of life is an undeniable and tragic reality affecting all parties to armed conflicts raging across the world. Thousands of unidentified victims are left in a state of decomposition. In some instances, corpses are mutilated, desecrated, abandoned without any funeral rites, or not afforded decent burials. International humanitarian law (IHL) seeks to limit the means and methods of warfare and to protect war victims. Parties to armed conflicts are bound to collect and search for the dead, to prevent the dead from being despoiled or mutilated, to ensure that the disposal of the dead is done in a dignified manner by following the deceased’s culture and religion, and to account for the dead. In international armed conflicts (IAC), there is an obligation to return the human remains and personal effects when possible.
With technological developments presenting tremendous opportunities, rapid developments in data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have the potential to significantly transform humanitarian forensic action. However, their role in forensic identification of the deceased remains unexamined. Over the years, tech enthusiasts in collaboration with forensic practitioners have developed tools like Skeleton ID, Commingled Remains Analytics (CoRA), and forensic facial imaging tools to aid in the identification of the missing and the dead.
The application of AI and ML in humanitarian contexts can revolutionize forensic practices, allowing for the integration of various identification techniques while increasing the speed and accuracy of matching remains. Using a multidisciplinary approach, this post explores AI and ML challenges and opportunities in advancing honour and dignity in death for armed conflict victims in humanitarian forensic action under IHL.
Forensic’s Top 10 News Articles of 2024 (Forensic – 12/18/2024)
As we prepare for the holiday season and rapidly approaching new year, let’s take a look back at Forensic’s most read news of 2024 while reflecting on how far forensic science has come in the last 12 months.
NIST Publishes Report on DNA Mixture Interpretation Methods (NIST – 12/19/2024)
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published DNA Mixture Interpretation: A Scientific Foundation Review. This report reviews the methods that forensic laboratories use to interpret evidence containing a mixture of DNA from two or more people.
NIST published a draft version of this report in June 2021 and invited public comment at that time. Sixty-three sets of comments spanning almost 450 pages were received and are available on the NIST website. The study authors considered all comments when preparing the final version of this report.
The new version considers several studies published since the draft report was released and includes updated data from DNA analyst proficiency tests and other sources. The preface of the report contains a list of significant revisions.
The report’s findings will be presented at major forensic science conferences in the coming year.
NIST scientific foundation reviews document and evaluate the scientific basis for forensic methods. These reviews fill a need identified in a landmark 2009 study by the National Academy of Sciences, which called for studies of this kind.
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and Massachusetts State Police Team with Othram to Identify the Suspect in a 2005 Homicide (DNASolves – 12/19/2024)
In October 2005, 42-year-old Suzanna Alvarado’s body was found on the side of Route 88 in Westport, Massachusetts. Westport is located in Bristol County and is part of Massachusetts’ South Coast region. An autopsy was performed where it was determined that Suzanna, a reside of nearby New Bedford, had been beaten and strangled; her death was ruled as a homicide. The person responsible for Suzanna Alvarado’s death was not known.
Evidence from the crime scene was collected and an STR profile was developed using traditional DNA testing. This profile was entered into CODIS, but there was no match to a known individual. In 2020, fifteen years after the murder of Alvarado, the Massachusetts State Police Unresolved Case Unit performed a forensic review of the case in hopes that advances in forensic DNA testing could assist in the identification of the person responsible for the murder of Suzanna Alvarado.
In 2022, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and Massachusetts State Police Unresolved Case Unit teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy could help generate new leads and assist in the identification of the unknown suspect. The Bristol District Attorney’s Office submitted evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas where Othram scientists successfully used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown suspect. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
Using these leads, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the suspect, a man who left DNA evidence at the crime scene in 2005. On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, 62-year-old Simao Farias was arrested after being indicted by a grand jury in the killing of Suzanna Alvarado. Farias was arraigned on Thursday, December 18, 2024. Updates to the case will be provided as they become available.
Nye County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 2023 John Doe (DNASolves – 12/19/2024)
In June 2023, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were discovered by an ATV driver in a desert area of Pahrump, Nevada. Pahrump is a city located directly west of Las Vegas along the Nevada/California state line. An autopsy was conducted by the Clark County Office of the Coroner and Medical Examiner. It was determined that the remains were that of a man, whose ancestry could not be determined. The man was 35 to 65 years old and 5’7” to 5’10″ tall. The man’s identity was unknown and details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP111870.
In December 2023, the Nye County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas in hopes that advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy could help to identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive genealogical profile for the unknown man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct genetic genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted, leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. A reference DNA sample was collected from a possible relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unknown man using KinSNP® rapid relationship testing. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Daniel Patrick Core, born November 2, 1960.
