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State of Louisiana v Joshua Eugene
TrueAllele links watch to suspect in cold case shooting
| Crime | In 2007, two brothers were shot by assailants during an armed robbery. One brother died of a single gunshot wound; the other survived despite being shot five times. |
| Evidence | Police recovered a unique watch with a blue band and multi-colored jewels from the crime scene. The watch was linked to suspect Joshua Eugene through jail property records from an arrest a week before the homicide. |
| DNA | The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Regional DNA Laboratory produced DNA data from the watch wristband in 2012. The lab generated the suspect’s DNA profile in 2020. |
| Match | The crime laboratory did not compare the watch wristband data to the suspect’s DNA profile due to change in DNA testing protocols. |
| TrueAllele | TrueAllele linked the watch wristband and Mr. Eugene with a match statistic of 1.03 quintillion (a 1 followed by 18 zeros). |
| Cybergenetics | On December 9, 2022, Cybergenetics analyst Jennifer Bracamontes testified before a Jefferson Parish jury about the TrueAllele DNA results. |
| Outcome | Joshua Eugene was tried for first-degree murder, attempted first degree murder, and two counts of armed robbery. |