Monday, March 23, 2009

New DNA test gives cold case hope

It allows scientists to obtain individual DNA profiles from crime scenes which contain a mix of genetic material from several people.

This is outstanding news..Sharrons case will be 34 years "cold"
A new technique which can decipher previously unintelligible DNA samples has been made available to all police forces in England and Wales.

The Forensic Science Service (FSS) said the DNAboost method may shed light on "many thousands" of unsolved cases.

It allows scientists to obtain individual DNA profiles from crime scenes which contain a mix of genetic material from several people.
But some experts have warned that it could lead to miscarriages of justice.
During the pilot, DNAboost was used on about 2,000 samples in four police forces -Humberside, Northumbria, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire.
The FSS said it helped police to identify suspects and build evidence for cases, and was now "fit for purpose" to be used by all forces.

'Cold cases'
Previously, it was impossible for scientists to accurately separate out DNA from different individuals at one crime scene, for example, where two or three suspects handled the same weapon.
Now, DNAboost can use computer technology to do just that and provide identifiable DNA profiles for each suspect.

more to read here

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