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19-Jan-2024
Cybergenetics helps California defendant rebut rape charges
Santa Clara Superior Court
In May 2021, a California man allegedly sexually assaulted a teenage hitchhiker (16) in Santa Clara County. The assailant left her stranded by the road. Detectives identified a suspect through security camera footage from a local liquor store.
The county crime laboratory developed DNA mixtures from the victim’s sweatpants. But the lab couldn't interpret the minor parts of the mixture – there was too little DNA and too many people in the mix.
Cybergenetics analyzed the three-person sweatpants mixture. TrueAllele connected the major part to the victim. The computer statistically excluded the defendant from the rest of the mixture. The case resolved this month. After considering the TrueAllele results, the District Attorney dismissed all sex charges against the defendant.