New publication - The reliability and reporting of DNA match strength for uncertain genotype evidence.

Multiple Suspects in a Sexual Assault Case: How to Handle Complex Mixtures.

Short answer

When more than one possible contributor may be on the evidence, the DNA mixture may become more difficult for a lab to interpret using their normal protocols. That does not automatically make the evidence useless. These multiple-suspect cases can create the kind of mixture complexity that may hinder an investigation unless the DNA is fully interpreted. TrueAllele® Casework often recovers more information from the same lab DNA data, even in complex multi-contributor cases.

What to do next

  1. Identify the most probative evidence items first.
  2. Request the required electronic DNA data files (.fsa or .hid).
  3. Include the available reference profiles.
  4. Submit a Free TrueAllele Screening inquiry.
  5. Use the screening result to decide whether a court-ready case report is worth pursuing.

What to send

  • Please do not send biological evidence. The screening uses the lab’s autosomal STR electronic DNA data files (.fsa or .hid).

Please submit:

  • For the key evidence items, the lab’s electronic data (.fsa or .hid)
  • For reference profiles (victim/elimination/POI), either allele lists or electronic data files
  • Allelic ladder files for any electronic data
  • Lab reports or other case documents
  • Item ID list (which swabs/items the files belong to)
  • A case submission form with case specific information and questions (e.g., compare to POI, interpret the inconclusive mixture, compare items, etc.)

For more information on what to request from the lab, see the Sending Cases for TrueAllele Processing page.

Ready to Submit?

Tell us about your case. We’ll review it and tell you if we can get more information from the DNA data.

Free Screening

We don’t retest physical evidence items. We interpret the electronic DNA data a lab already generated.