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!
Reducing Gun Violence Through Integrated Forensic Evidence Collection, Analysis, and Sharing (U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs – 6/2024)
In 2006, New Jersey initiated a comprehensive gun violence reduction strategy, becoming the first in the country to create a long-term statewide, multi-jurisdictional program that relied upon the integration of data and intelligence from multiple sources. Spanning 15 years, the project improved over time, transforming the investigative culture of all participating agencies. National Institute of Justice-funded researchers evaluated New Jersey’s gun violence reduction strategy, documenting the state’s process of collection, integration, and analysis of firearms, ballistics, crime gun tracing, and intelligence data and the impact of that effort on violent crimes. Overall, they found that New Jersey’s strategy enhanced investigations and resulted in new leads.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department & FBI Leverage Othram’s Forensic Sequencing Platform to Identify a 1983 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 6/14/2024)
In April 1983, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were discovered by children in a culvert in present-day Lake Forest, California. Lake Forest is located just southeast of Santa Ana. Upon responding to the scene in the area of Old Trabuco and Canada Roads, an excavation was performed to recover additional remains belonging to the individual. Upon examination, it was determined that the remains were that of a female who was likely black or mixed race. The woman was estimated to be between 5’3” and 5’6” tall and between the ages of 18 and 24 years. It was determined that the woman was a victim of homicide.
In August 2010, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP7655. Multiple forensic renderings of the woman were released over the years. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the woman, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads.
In 2022, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas in hopes that advanced DNA testing could help to finally identify the woman. 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 woman. After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team and the FBI team performed the necessary work to generate new investigative leads in the case.
Using these new leads, investigators contacted a distant genetic relative of the victim, who suggested Jane Doe’s forensic renderings be posted to a Facebook group for Jane Does and missing women from the 1970s and 1980s. Approximately one month after the posting, a woman contacted investigators and said she believed the Lake Forest Jane Doe could be her missing mother. Lake Forest Jane Doe is now known to be Maritza Glean Grimmett, a Panamanian native, married a US Marine in the summer of 1978 and gave birth to a daughter. In late 1978, the family moved to the US. The family resided in Columbus, Ohio and Millington, Tennessee in late 1978 through mid-1979. In July 1979, the couple began divorce proceedings. Maritza told her sister she was going to California. Her family never heard from her again. She was 20 years old at the time of her disappearance.
‘She Was Practically There Waiting For Us’: Cold Case from 1975 Finally Cracked (MSN – 6/14/2024)
An Ontario cold case from 1975 has finally been cracked thanks to the use of genetic genealogy, or DNA testing designed to find genetic matches and help discover one’s ancestry.
On May 3, 1975, a local farmer discovered the remains of a woman floating in the Nation River near the Highway 417 bridge, south of Casselman, Ont. The unidentified woman was referred to as the “Nation River Lady,” after the body of water she was found in.
For years, attempts by authorities to identify her were unsuccessful and the case went cold.
On Tuesday, the DNA Doe Project (DDP) said the mystery had finally been solved and identified the woman(opens in a new tab) as Lalla Jewell Parchman Langford.
Sheriff Credits Podcast in Identifying 1975 “Mr. X” Cold Case Victim (Forensic – 6/18/2024)
Sheriff Hobart Lewis (of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office in SC) held a press conference announcing a significant breakthrough in the cold case formerly known as “Mr. X.” This case, which originated in 1975, involved the discovery of an unidentified body by a hunter near Hwy 20 and Blakely Road. The body was found wrapped in a sheet and smoldering, indicating it had been set on fire. The Coroner’s Office ruled the death a homicide by blunt force trauma and strangulation. Despite numerous outreach efforts over the years, the victim’s identity had remained unknown.
Upon taking office in 2020, Sheriff Hobart Lewis revamped the cold case unit to re-examine active cases and leverage technological advancements. Since then, the unit has solved 11 cases. Today, Sheriff Lewis is proud to announce the identification of “Mr. X” as Oscar James Nedd of White Plains, New York. Oscar was born on April 19, 1951, in Georgia and later moved to New York to pursue a college education.
Sheriff Hobart Lewis credits Brad Willis’ podcast “Murder, Etc.” for drawing attention to this case. On July 17, 2020, GCSO investigators partnered with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office to exhume the body from Potters Field in Northern Greenville County. Subsequently, some of the skeletal remains were sent to the National Unidentified and Missing Persons System (NAMUS) for DNA testing. In parallel, a profile was created for the victim in the NAMUS database. In February 2024, Greenville County investigators were contacted by the White Plains Police Department regarding a match with a missing person case they had been working on since 1975. The individual in question was named Oscar James Nedd.
After contacting family members, investigators were able to confirm the identity of Mr. Nedd, and this information was relayed to the White Plains authorities concerning the homicide. It is believed that Oscar was killed in New York, and the case has now been transferred to their jurisdiction concerning the death investigation.
Montgomery County Police Department Teams with Othram to Identify the Suspect in 2001 Murder of Leslie Preer (DNASolves – 6/19/2024)
In May 2001, officers with the Montgomery County Police Department were dispatched to the home of Leslie Preer located in the 4800 block of Drummond Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Preer, who lived in Montgomery County, just north of Washington, D.C., had not shown up for work, prompting a visit by police. Upon entering Preer’s home, officers determined that a crime had been committed. Officers found Preer’s body inside of her home and determined that she was a victim of homicide. Investigators collected evidence from the crime scene.
For twenty-three years, police worked diligently to determine who was responsible for killing Leslie Preer on May 2, 2001. Traditional DNA testing did not yield a match, and a suspect could not be identified. In September 2022, Montgomery County Police Department teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to identify the perpetrator.
The Montgomery County Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas so that a DNA profile could be developed for the unknown suspect. Using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®, Othram scientists built a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown suspect. After completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to investigators so that a forensic genetic genealogy search could be performed to develop new investigative leads in the case.
Using forensic genetic genealogy, law enforcement investigators identified a potential male suspect in the case. In June 2024, Montgomery County Police Detectives collected DNA evidence belonging to the potential suspect. This evidence was compared to the original DNA evidence collected at the crime scene in 2001. This comparison yielded a positive match, confirming the identity of the suspect as Eugene Teodor Gligor.
A warrant for Gligor’s arrest was requested and obtained on Saturday, June 15, 2024. Gligor, who is currently 44-years-old, was arrested by the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force in Washington, D.C. on June 18, 2024. Gligor has been charged with first-degree murder. The arrest warrant will be sent to Washington, D.C., to serve as a detainer pending Gligor’s extradition process.
The identification of Eugene Teodor Gligor represents the fourth case in the state of Maryland where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Earlier this week, the suspect in the rape and murder of Rachel Morin was identified after a 10-month-long nationwide search for an unknown man was launched following her August 2023 rape and murder.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office & FBI Team with Othram to Identify a 2003 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 6/19/2024)
In December 2003, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in a wooded area that is frequented by hunters in Christmas, Florida. Landscape workers made the discovery while working off of Taylor Creek Road in the small community located just east of Orlando. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. It was determined that the remains were that of a white female who was estimated to be 5’3” tall and between 24 and 29 years old. She had brown hair and wore two clear stone post earrings, one gold-colored ring, and two bracelets. An investigation led by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office ruled the woman’s manner of death as homicide, and she became known as Christmas Jane Doe.
Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP522. Over the years, multiple women were excluded as being Christmas Jane Doe. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the woman, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads.
In March 2022, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. 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 woman. After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team, who performed the necessary work to generate new investigative leads in the case.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted, leading investigators to potential relatives of the woman. As a result of this investigation, the woman is now known to be 26-year-old Holly Rose Leavines Garcia. At the time of her disappearance, Holly was married to Miguel Angel Garcia-Rivera. Investigators are currently searching for Miguel Angel Garcia-Rivera.
Shenandoah National Park Cold Case Solved with DNA, FBI Says (WUSA9 – 6/20/2024)
After nearly 30 years, DNA has finally helped solve a murder that has haunted investigators in Virginia. FBI agents said Thursday they had identified a suspect in the murders of Laura “Lollie” Winans and Julianne “Julie” Williams in May 1996.
Investigators found the nude, bound and gagged bodies of Winans and Williams at a campsite in Shenandoah National Park just off Skyline Drive near the Skyland Lodge on June 1, 1996. Their throats had been slashed.
Two years ago, a new team of investigators conducted a methodical review of the case, agents in Richmond reassessed hundreds of leads and interviews. They spent hours to identify and prioritize evidence from the crime scene to retest and submitted the items to an accredited private lab.
Recently, the private lab successfully pulled DNA from several items of evidence and, with assistance from the Virginia State Police, the profile was submitted to the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). There was a positive match to Walter Leo Jackson Sr.
Jackson was a convicted serial rapist, originally from the Cleveland, Ohio area.
Pennsylvania State Police & Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office Team with Othram to Identify a 1992 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 6/20/2024)
In January 1992, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered alongside the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Clay Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Clay Township is west of Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) arrived at the scene and determined that the remains were that of a male who was estimated to be 5’10” tall and between 18 and 30 years old. At the time of the man’s discovery, he was wearing a Kate Collins brand light blue long sleeve sweater as well as a size 35-36 pair of men’s Fruit-of-the-Loom jockey style underwear. The man also had a scar on his chest from a previous bullet wound that had healed.
In April 2017, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP16543. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the man, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads.
In 2022, the Pennsylvania State Police submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. 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. After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to a PSP Analyst who performed the necessary work to generate new investigative leads in the case.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Derek Michael Mason. Mason was last seen leaving his home in the 500 block of South 39th Street in West Philadelphia in October 1991. Mason was known in the area by the names “Hawkeye” and “Hawk.”
‘Tiny Crime Fighters With Wings’: Bees Go to Work on a Virginia ‘Body Farm’ (New York Times – 6/21/2024)
By studying bees and their honey near decomposing human tissue, researchers at George Mason University hope to give crime scene investigators a new tool for finding the hidden dead.
Webster County Coroner and Southeast Missouri State University Partner with Othram to Identify 2006 John Doe (DNASolves – 6/24/2024)
In April 2006, a man known locally as Charles Goudeau was killed in a car accident on Interstate 44 in Webster County, Missouri, about five miles east of Marshfield. Alongside the man was his 3-month-old chocolate lab puppy, Cocoa. Cocoa was found with a broken leg and several lacerations about 50 yards from the wreckage and was nursed back to health. Cocoa was adopted by a deputy who responded to the scene and ended up becoming a mascot in the Webster County D.A.R.E. program. When authorities tried to find the deceased man’s next-of-kin using the name and social security number they had for him, it was discovered that “Charles” had been using a stolen identity.
Despite extensive efforts, law enforcement officials were unable to identify the man or locate his next-of-kin. The man was described as an African American male, likely under 50 years old at the time of his death, with a prominent midline surgical scar on his abdomen. The John Doe’s remains were eventually cremated.
In March 2020, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as #UP66414. Despite efforts to identify the man, no leads have yielded a match and his identity remains a mystery.
In 2024, the Webster County Coroner’s Office teamed with Othram to leverage advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy to develop investigative leads in hopes of identifying the man. Southeast Missouri State University previously partnered with Othram to identify Helen Groomes.
The Mastermind Behind ‘CSI’ Turns the Franchise to a New Direction With Unscripted CBS Series (U.S. News – 6/24/2024)
“The Real CSI: Miami,” premiering on CBS on Wednesday night, is a documentary-style look at the hunt for real criminals told by the officers and lab-coated pros who actually solved the murders.“’CSI’ has that ability to live in different spectrums,” says writer-producer Anthony E. Zuiker, who created the hit franchise. “It made perfect sense to try the unscripted version of the show because the format could still relatively be the same.”
The series uses real 911 calls, actor portrayals, surveillance video, interrogation and bodycam footage, crime scene images, cool graphics and re-creations. There are also interviews with survivors and family members to underline the pain of loss.
Marin County Sheriff-Coroner & California DOJ Team with Othram to Identify a 1982 John Doe (DNASolves – 6/25/2024)
In November 1982, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in the Muir Woods National Monument, near the Deer Park Fire Trail in Marin County, California. Muir Woods National Monument, known for its redwood trees, is part of California’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and is located just northwest of San Francisco. Investigators responded to the scene and determined that the remains were that of a male who was approximately 5’8” tall and likely between the ages of 60 and 70 years old. At the time of the man’s discovery, he was wearing a white collared shirt, gray socks, and a pair of size 11.5 white tennis shoes. The man could not be identified and became known as Marin County John Doe.
In April 2018, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP17746. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the man, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads.
In 2022, the California Department of Justice submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. 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 casework costs for the case were provided by the Roads to Justice (RTJ) program. 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 this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples were collected from a potential relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unknown man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Sigvard Swanson, born February 4th, 1908. Swanson immigrated to the United States in 1926, arriving in New York from Sweden, with a final destination of San Francisco.
DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify the Suspect in a 1990 Double-Homicide and Sexual Assault (DNASolves – 6/26/2024)
In July 1990, officers with the DeKalb County Police Department (DKPD) responded to a report of a stabbing at an apartment complex on Tree Hills Parkway in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Stone Mountain is located east of Atlanta. Upon arriving, DKPD officers found Pamela Sumpter at a neighbor’s apartment; she reported being raped and stabbed, and that her brother, John, had also been stabbed. John Sumpter was found deceased in the apartment that the siblings shared. Following the attack, Pamela was transported to an area hospital, where a rape kit was collected. The rape kit was found to include male DNA belonging to her attacker.
While hospitalized, Pamela was interviewed by DKPD officers, providing them with a detailed description of the man who attacked her and murdered her brother. She told investigators that the man was a new acquaintance of her brother John, and that he was from Detroit, Michigan. Pamela succumbed to her injuries on August 5, 1990, and with a lack of viable leads, the case went cold.
In November 2022, as part of an initiative to test pre-1999 rape kit evidence, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) sent DNA evidence from Pamela’s rape kit to a private lab for traditional STR testing. By February 2023, a male DNA profile was developed and uploaded to Georgia’s statewide DNA database. The profile did not match to any known offenders within the state’s database.
Still unsolved in the Spring of 2023, the Sumpter double homicide case was selected by a DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office investigator when an audit of fifty unsolved homicide cases in DeKalb County was completed in preparation for a “Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA” grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, which was awarded in October 2023. The case was chosen as a good candidate for the grant as DNA evidence from an unknown perpetrator was available.
In February 2024, the Dekalb County District Attorney’s Office worked with the GBI to upload the STR DNA profile for the unknown male suspect at the national level and received a match to an unprosecuted 1992 sexual assault case from Detroit, Michigan. At the same time, with no match to a known individual, the Dekalb County District Attorney’s Office teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to identify the unknown suspect in the case.
Forensic evidence was submitted to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. 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.
Using these new investigative leads, paired with the case file from the 1992 unprosecuted sex assault, investigators identified a likely suspect in the case—55-year-old Kenneth Perry of Loganville, Georgia. On June 6, 2024, members of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit executed an arrest warrant and Perry was taken into custody without incident. Investigators collected a DNA sample from Perry to confirm that he was the perpetrator in the 1990 case. The DNA sample collected from Perry at the time of his arrest matched to the DNA sample collected in Pamela Sumpter’s 1990 rape kit.
A DeKalb County Grand Jury has indicted Kenneth Perry on two counts of Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, Rape, four counts of Aggravated Assault, two counts of Aggravated Battery, two counts of Possession of a Knife During the Commission of a Felony, and Theft by Taking, all in connection with the 1990 rape and murder of 43-year-old Pamela Sumpter and the murder of her brother, 46-year-old John Sumpter. Kenneth Perry is in custody at the DeKalb County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office & Medical Examiner’s Office Team with Othram to Identify a 1987 John Doe (DNASolves – 6/26/2024)
In November 1987, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in the Los Padres National Forest’s Dome Springs Canyon, near Lockwood Valley, California. Officials responded to the scene and found the remains of a partially-buried man in an area that was typically used for target shooting. The unknown man’s height was estimated to be between 5’11” and 6’0” and his weight was estimated to be between 250 and 300 pounds.
At the time that his remains were discovered, the man was wearing a brown, long-sleeve zippered sweater, a brown geometric zig-zag patterned short-sleeved shirt, a pair of blue pants and brown underwear, and size 9-10 red and white tennis shoes. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP60645. Despite law enforcement’s efforts, the man could not be identified and he became known as Ventura County John Doe.
In June 2023, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office-Cold Case Unit, in collaboration with the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office, once again submitted forensic evidence to Othram in the Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided 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 extensive 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. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Russell Alexander Stewart, born February 19, 1936. Stewart was known to be missing since the early 1980s.
Indiana State Police & Vigo County Coroner’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1998 Jonn Doe (DNASolves – 6/26/2024)
In January 1998, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were discovered by a state highway worker near a western Indiana highway overpass in Vigo County. Vigo County is just southwest of Indianapolis. It was determined that they were that of a white male who was between 5’8” and 6’2” tall. The man was between the ages of 40 and 60 years. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP4829. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the man, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads.
In April 2023, the Indiana State Police and Vigo County Coroner’s Office worked together to submit forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help 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 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.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples for a potential relative were collected and compared to the DNA profile for the John Doe. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be 47-year-old Mitchell Preston. Preston was last seen in Anderson, Indiana in August of 1997. He was traveling on foot to California.
1976 Jane Doe Identified: Woman found in Grundy County identified as JoAnn “Vickie” Smith (DNA Doe Project – 6/27/2024)
After more than 47 years, the remains of a young Black woman found near Seneca, Illinois have been identified as JoAnn “Vickie” Smith of Ohio by a dedicated team of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists with the DNA Doe Project.
Investigators on the scene in 1976 quickly ran out of leads to the identity of the Jane Doe found in a ditch alongside US Highway 6. They knew she had been shot in the head, and knowing her name was an important first step in solving her murder. After two months of searching, she was buried in an unmarked grave, but her case was far from closed.
In late 2017, the Grundy County Coroner’s Office reopened the cold case, in the hopes of using modern day DNA and forensics. On December 18, 2018, Jane Doe was subsequently exhumed from her unmarked resting place of forty-two years. With the assistance of NamUs, remains were sent to the University of North Texas Center For Human Identification in Fort Worth, TX. DNA was then developed and entered into CODIS, a national DNA database, which yielded negative results.
Deputy Chief Brandon Johnson of the Grundy County Coroner’s Office connected with the DNA Doe Project to try a newly developed technique to find her identity. DNA Doe Project deploys teams of expert volunteer investigative genetic genealogists who analyze the relative matches to the unknown person’s DNA to build a family tree. It would take four and a half years of dedicated work to narrow the search to the right branch of Vickie Smith’s tree and find her name.
“At some point everyone worked on this case,” said Margaret Press, who founded the DNA Doe Project in 2017. “She has been at the top of my list of cases I wanted to see identified.”
In fact, the list of volunteers who have worked on this case reads like a Who’s Who of DNA Doe Project leadership, including more than 20 expert genetic genealogists and all of the original volunteer cohort. Their work resolves one of DNA Doe Project’s oldest and most intractable active cases.
African-American Jane and John Does are often much more difficult to identify than people of Northern European descent because African-Americans are underrepresented in the public databases that allow law enforcement cases like this. This case was further complicated by the fact that Vickie had been adopted. Her DNA profile matched to a number of her distant biological relatives, but most people in her birth family didn’t know she existed. Her name was finally found after the team located a branch of her tree with three sisters, one of whom was her birth mother. With the assistance of Cincinnati Health Department Vital Records, Johnson located her original birth certificate. After extensive searches, Johnson requested assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and subsequently adoption records were located by the Hamilton County Probate Court based on the lead provided by the DNA Doe Project team.
“The team really thought that she would be identified last summer once her grandparents had been identified,” said Eric Hendershott, team leader on the case. “However, it was only after contact was made with her biological family that adoption was suspected.”
In addition to DNA work on this case, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) also supported the case, providing resources, a facial reconstruction, and publicity in the hopes that she would be recognized. NCMEC kept her face and story in the public eye, contributing to numerous press articles over the years.
Smithsonian’s “Forensic Science on Trial” Exhibition Explores What Happens When Science Enters the Courtroom (Smithsonian – 6/27/2024)
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will open “Forensic Science on Trial” June 28, a new exhibition that explores the way people influence the development, presentation and interpretation of forensic science. The one-year exhibition will run through June 2025 in the museum’s 1,000-square-foot Albert H. Small Documents Gallery.
Objects and archival documents on view will span 150 years of historic cases and include about a dozen different forensic techniques, from hair to handwriting analysis. Among the objects on view will be arsenic tests from the 1872 trial of Lydia Sherman, who was suspected of poisoning three of her husbands and eight children; one of the earliest polygraphs used for lie detection created by John A. Larson in 1921; an early sexual-assault examination kit co-developed by Martha Goddard and Louis Vitullo; and materials related to fingerprinting and DNA identification on loan from the FBI. In addition to the courtroom, the exhibition will look at how the media, through news coverage and on fictional television shows, such as Showtime’s Dexter, shape how the public understands forensic evidence and what is called the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation effect.
“The nation’s popular culture, from streaming series to podcasts, reflects the current fascination with true crime and forensic evidence,” said Anthea M. Hartig, the museum’s Elizabeth MacMillan director. “‘Forensic Science on Trial’ mines the museum’s extensive science collections as well as special loans to provide our audiences with a fascinating look at how forensic science has long been a part of the pursuit of justice.”
Divided into three sections, “Of People,” “By People” and “For People,” the exhibition underscores the long-standing desire to create systems that can reliably turn trace evidence of criminals into convictions, how the collection and judgement of data can be influenced by personal beliefs and the way the past can shape how data is exhibited for those tasked with deciding guilt or innocence.
