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!
Genealogy Links Suspect to 1986, 1992 Sexual Assaults of Children (Forensic – 11/07/2024)
In 1986, a stranger abducted a toddler from their bedroom. He took the victim to a construction site, sexually assaulted the child, and left them there when they started screaming. As dawn broke, a couple of newspaper delivery individuals found the toddler and called the police, who reunited them with their parents.
Following the brutal crime, officers gathered evidence and talked to the victim. Unfortunately, they were unable to identify a suspect.
Fast forward 25 years, it’s now 2011 and DNA analysis is growing. A Phoenix Police Department (PPD) Cold Case Detective was looking at the case again and noticed a few evidence items that had not been tested yet. The items were sent to the PPD Crime Lab, where analysts found an unknown male’s DNA profile. They entered the profile into CODIS, and it matched to a 1992 sexual assault of a minor in Henderson, Texas.
The case was eerily similar to the 1986 case. In the Henderson case, the suspect broke into a home, sexually assaulted a minor, and then fled. At the time, officers were able to get a description of the suspect and DNA evidence, but there were no leads.
In 2022, PPD Cold Case Sergeant Aaron Rodriguez was reviewing files when he came across this particular case and noticed information that could possibly be the key. He assigned it to seasoned Cold Case Detective Javier Quezada.
In hopes of finding new leads, Quezada worked with Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). They submitted more evidence to the Arizona DPS’s Crime Lab for additional analysis through the Maricopa County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.
Students Enlist Campus to Help Build Shoe Print Database (Forensic – 11/08/2024)
Forensic science students at New Jersey institute of Technology are giving criminal investigators a step up on solving cases, and they’re doing it by enlisting the campus community’s help through an enticing offer — “lend your soles” for free pizza.
The university’s Forensic Science Student Association (FSSA) is hosting pop-up events on campus to collect shoe impressions from willing volunteers in an effort to expand NJIT’s Shoeprint Image Capture and Retrieval (SICAR) database — one of only two forensic footwear databases in New Jersey.
The database uses advanced imaging and machine learning algorithms to match recovered shoe prints from crime scenes with specific shoe models and brands, encompassing far more than your classic loafers, Doc Martens, Chuck Taylors or Air Jordans, according to FSSA President Pranav Prabhu.
With thousands of shoe makes and models registered since its launch last year, the database requires constant updates to help law enforcement keep pace with the flurry of fresh shoe styles (and new shoe print patterns) released each year.
Police Identify Prison Escapee’s Remains 40 Years Later (Forensic – 11/08/2024)
Investigators with the York Regional Police (UK) Cold Case Unit have identified human remains more than 40 years after they were found, and are appealing for any information that may help them solve the cold case.
On July 16, 1980, a Markham resident discovered human remains on the side of the street. Initial forensic testing identified the remains as a white man, between 25 and 40 years old, 5’6”, weighing between 100 and 120 pounds, with dark, medium-length brown hair. Due to the state of decomposition, no identification could be made and he remained unidentified for 44 years.
In 2007, the remains were exhumed by Cold Case Unit investigators for the purpose of attempting a facial reconstruction and to obtain DNA. The following year, a DNA profile was developed and uploaded to the national DNA database, however, there were no matches
In 2021, investigators turned to investigative genetic genealogy (IGG), which resulted in them identifying relatives of the deceased. On April 3, 2023, the deceased was identified as William Joseph Pennell, 26, from the City of Toronto.
New GPS System for Microorganisms Could Enhance Forensic Investigations (Forensic – 11/08/2024)
A research team led by Lund University in Sweden has developed an AI tool that traces back the most recent places you have been to. The tool acts like a satellite navigation system, but instead of guiding you to your hotel, it identifies the geographical source of microorganisms.
This means you can use bacteria to determine whether someone has just been to the beach, got off the train in the city center or taken a walk in the woods. This opens up new possibilities within medicine, epidemiology and forensics.
Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 2022 Jane Doe (DNA Solves – 11/08/2024)
In January 2022, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in Grandview, Missouri. Grandview is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The Grandview Police Department launched an investigation to identify the person. Later in February 2022, additional remains belonging to the individual were discovered. It was determined that the remains were that of a White female, estimated to be between 4’9” and 5’4” tall. No other identifying information could be determined for the woman.
Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP95540. 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 investigative leads.
In hopes that advanced DNA testing could help identify the woman, the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. 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 woman. 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 woman. Reference DNA samples were collected from the potential relatives and compared to the DNA profile of the unknown woman. This investigation led to the positive identification of the woman, who is now known to be Ashley May Willis, who was born in 1987. Willis was missing and had last been seen in 2021.
Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office & Wisconsin DOJ Team with Othram to Identify a 1959 Murdered Child (DNASolves – 11/08/2024)
In October 1959, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in a culvert off of Davis Road in the City of Mequon, Wisconsin. The culvert was north of Bonniwell Road and south of Pioneer Road. The Mequon Police Department conducted the initial investigation, following up on hundreds of leads. It was determined that the remains were that of a child, likely between the ages of 6-8 years old at the time of their death. The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.
During the investigation, investigators became aware of an investigation in Houghton County, Michigan regarding a possible missing child, Markku Jutila. Houghton County Deputies were working with the Chicago Police Department after family members of William and Hilja Jutila became suspicious of the whereabouts of their adopted child, Markku Jutila. The Jutila family had relocated from Houghton to Chicago and were not able to articulate the whereabouts of their six year old son. During an interview with police, the couple admitted to fleeing Houghton for Chicago, and disposing of the child’s body in a ditch in Mequon before arriving in Chicago. The mother, Hilja Jutila, confessed to physically beating her son to death.
William and Hilja Jutila were arrested by Chicago Police and Houghton County Investigators on March 28, 1966 and subsequently prosecuted. However, charges against the Jutilas were dismissed due to the absence of corpus delicti and the failure of the prosecution to connect the skeleton of the child found in Mequon with the defendants. The individuals’ adopted child, Markku, was never seen again. The child found in October 1959, presumed to be the adopted son of William and Hilja Jutila, was never officially identified.
In hopes of identifying the boy, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, in collaboration with the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office and the Madison State Crime Lab, met with an anthropologist from University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in October 2023, regarding these remains. Traditional DNA testing was completed so that an STR profile could be developed and uploaded to CODIS. No matches were found and the child’s identity remained unknown. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons Case (NamUs) as UP126034.
Following this CODIS search, a decision to conduct advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy was made. In 2024, forensic evidence belonging to the unknown child was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram’s scientists used Forensic Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unidentified child. This profile was transferred to investigators with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation so that a genealogical search could be performed in hopes that new leads could be developed in the case, and the child could be identified. Doing so would end a nearly seventy year mystery.
A follow-up investigation was launched leading to the identification of the child who is now known to be Chester Alfred Breiney, whose adopted name was Markku Jutila. Chester Alfred Breiney was born to Josephine Breiney of Houghton, Michigan on February 26, 1952. Adoption records showed Chester was admitted to the Good Will Farm orphanage, and was adopted by Russell and Hilja Jutila on March 24, 1955.
The Ozaukee County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the results of this investigation and the positive DNA identification of Breiney. The abuse of Chester by his adoptive parents, William and Hilja Jutila, went undetected and Chester died as a direct result of their torture and abuse. While William and Hilja Jutila were implicated in Chester’s death back in 1966, both individuals died in 1988. Therefore, there will be no future prosecution in this case.
DNA from Hat Found in 1974 Leads to Arrest in 50-Year-Old Dunn County Murder Case (Wisconsin Public Radio – 11/08/2024)
With the help of genetic genealogists in New Jersey, the Dunn County Sheriff Sheriff’s Office has arrested a suspect in a 50-year-old murder case.
Sheriff Kevin Bygd said being able to give closure to the victim’s family and former investigators is “pretty unreal.”
On Feb. 15, 1974, Mary K. Schlais of Minneapolis was found dead on a roadside in the Dunn County Town of Spring Brook.
Bones from Shipwreck Show How Bone Chemistry may Hold Clues about Lifestyle (Forensic – 11/13/2024)
A new study of human skeletal remains from the wreck of the 16th century English warship “Mary Rose” suggests that whether a person is right- versus left-handed may influence how their clavicle bone chemistry changes as they age. Sheona Shankland of Lancaster University, U.K., and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.
The Mary Rose was part of the Tudor navy during Henry VIII’s reign. On July 19, 1545, it sank while engaging French ships in the Battle of the Solent. Excavated in the late 20th century, the ship’s artifacts and the crew’s skeletal remains were notably well preserved, allowing for extensive research into the belongings, appearance, and health of the crew members.
Now, Shankland and colleagues contribute new insights into the biology of 12 men aged 13 to 40 who sank with the ship. This work explored how the chemistry of bone might adjust in response to physical activity and aging, so a person’s bone chemistry may hold clues about their lifestyle.
George Mason’s Outdoor Forensic Research Lab Hosts Guest Researchers from Louisiana HBCU (George Mason University – 11/13/2024)
A senior forensic science and mathematics double major, Sylvester was part of a team from Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO), who came to Northern Virginia this past summer for a program that paired aspiring scientists from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions with George Mason experts in Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis (CINA) Center.
This 10-week program, DHS Summer Research Team Program for Minority Serving Institutions, ran from June through August and was funded by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant to meet critical research needs in the national security realm, while also diversifying the criminal justice system.
Sylvester, an aspiring pathologist, was eager to gain hands-on experience in forensic science and was drawn by the chance to engage in the kind of experiential learning that no textbook could provide. The experience included the opportunity to engage in research with some of the nation’s most renowned forensic scientists and work in George Mason’s five-acre Forensic Science Research Training Laboratory on the Science and Technology Campus, one of just 10 locations in the world capable of performing transformative outdoor research in forensic science using human donors.
More popularly known as the “body farm,” and the only one of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic region, the lab opened its doors in Spring 2021 and received its first human donors this past May.
Stray DNA is All Around Us. It Could Revolutionize Conservation (Science – 11/14/2024)
All living beings constantly shed bits of DNA, left behind from skin, scales, hair, urine, feces, pollen and more. This environmental DNA, or eDNA, has “changed everything” about how scientists study biodiversity and conservation, says molecular ecologist Elizabeth Clare of York University in Toronto.
Traditionally, conservation research and monitoring have required a physical presence, perhaps a person who keeps watch over monkeys, or a motion-sensitive camera that documents a passing mountain lion, or a light trap that collects moths. “These are excellent confirmations that something was there,” Clare says. But “if the animal walks behind your camera trap, you miss it. No record.”
That’s not a problem with eDNA. “eDNA is more like a footprint, and footprints last longer than the animal or the plant,” Clare says. “The marvelous thing about it is it widens your time window of detection.… It’s like having eyes on the back of your head.”
eDNA is particularly useful for biodiversity surveys, sleuthing out even elusive species that rarely cross paths with humans (SN: 10/28/24). Samples taken from remote areas and brought to the lab for analysis can help researchers track the spread of invasive species, say, or identify species thought to be extinct (SN: 3/20/24). But even as conservationists discover new ways to put eDNA to use or new places to look for it, they must overcome challenges in how to interpret the genetic material they find.
Attorney General Josh Stein Shares Update on CODIS DNA Hits (Attorney General Josh Stein – 11/14/2024)
Attorney General Josh Stein today shared that the North Carolina State Crime Lab has had 283 CODIS DNA hits in the current fiscal year, which began in July 2024. These DNA hits help further law enforcement’s efforts to solve cases.
“These hits are going to help law enforcement solve crimes and get dangerous criminals out of our communities,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “I’m grateful to the State Crime Lab scientists for their continued dedication to analyzing evidence and making our state safer.”
In October 2024, the State Crime Lab uploaded 1,183 samples to the CODIS database, which led to 69 hits within the database from people who were arrested, people convicted of offenses that require DNA collection, and evidence collected through forensic analysis. Since the State Crime Lab began using the CODIS system, they have seen more than 11,772 hits in CODIS. Those hits have aided more than 9,438 law enforcement investigations.
These CODIS hits are also helping to drive arrests related to sexual assault cold cases after Attorney General Stein announced that North Carolina ended the rape kit backlog. In October, the Raleigh Police Department arrested David Lee Toney in connection with a 1998 sexual assault and charged him with felony first-degree rape, felony attempted first-degree sexual offense, felony kidnapping, and felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury. The Crime Lab coordinated testing of the kit with a vendor lab and a profile was uploaded to CODIS last year. The North Carolina Department of Justice continues to be as transparent as possible about the process of testing kits and updating the CODIS databases at www.ncdoj.gov/testthekits
Taking a Bite Out of Wildlife Crime (UC Riverside)
Somewhere in remote Alaska, Ken Goddard stood freezing cold and soaking wet with his gloved arm elbow-deep in the rotting guts of a headless walrus carcass. Goddard and two of his colleagues had landed on the deserted beach in tiny planes piloted by Alaskan wildlife special agents. Clad head-to-toe in protective clothing, their assignment was to use the latest forensic science techniques to find out what caused the demise of the 4,000-pound beast.
This was in 1990, just a few months after Goddard became head of the newly established National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, and it was not an assignment he wanted as a freshly minted lab director with a long to-do list. But the current investigation was the sequel to a decade-old case in which Goddard, then a field agent, had helped stop an outlaw biker gang — led by a man who’d almost certainly killed his last girlfriend — illegally trading walrus ivory. The new sightings of walrus carcasses washing up on the Alaskan coast were a sign the practice was making a comeback.
A few years later, in 1993, Goddard set out to investigate another case, this time on the other side of the Bering Strait in Russia. Wild sturgeon, a fish species as ancient as dinosaurs, were being overfished to the brink of extinction for their prized eggs, sold as caviar. The Russians tried to bribe Goddard, hoping he’d turn a blind eye to their intentional mislabeling of exported canned caviar products. Goddard’s “no” resulted in them intimidating him KGB-style during a terrifying car ride. When he called the U.S. Embassy for help, the representative advised him to “get out of town and don’t come back.”
While his profession turned out to be more dangerous than he anticipated when he enrolled at UCR as a biochemistry student in 1965, Goddard hasn’t looked back. His prolific career in law enforcement includes 12 years as a police criminalist and crime scene investigator working on gruesome homicides, drug raids, and robberies, and over four decades with the federal government, culminating in running the world’s only full-service lab dedicated to solving crimes against animals. Operated by about 25 forensic scientists and support staff, the lab Goddard runs in Ashland, Oregon, provides forensic expertise and evidence identification services to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents across the country and wildlife inspectors at ports of entry to help target crimes like endangered species trafficking and habitat destruction. It is also the official crime lab for 184 countries that have signed the CITES treaty governing international trade in wild plants and animals, and it serves as the official wildlife crime lab to Interpol.
