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Shedding light on inconclusive DNA: TrueAllele computer analysis

M.W. Perlin, "Shedding light on inconclusive DNA: TrueAllele^® computer analysis", Office of the Onondaga County District Attorney, Syracuse, NY, 25-Nov-2014.

Talk

PowerPoint presentation with live audio recording of Dr. Perlin's talk.

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Abstract

DNA mixtures (of two or more people) are at a crossroads in the United States. Mixed DNA contains considerable identification information, but is often mislabeled as "inconclusive" and not used as evidence. Ineffective statistical analysis loses DNA evidence vital to criminal justice.

Cybergenetics TrueAllele^® computer interpretation solves the mixture problem. This talk shows TrueAllele's success in New York State -- eliminating backlogs, identifying human remains, recovering information from "inconclusive" DNA, and promoting justice. The science is presented through People v. Ronald Meadow, a Syracuse homicide successfully prosecuted by Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick using TrueAllele results.

TrueAllele could shed light on thousands of DNA mixture evidence items that the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center has abandoned as "inconclusive". This lost evidence is needed for criminal justice and public safety. The NYSP crime laboratory's TrueAllele Casework system has been approved, installed, validated, trained, certified and documented. It is time for the Albany crime lab to turn on its TrueAllele system, and protect the public through better DNA technology.

Note

Unlike TrueAllele, some STR mixture analysis methods discard peak data below a certain "threshold" height. The study by Kloosterman set a 10 rfu threshold (baseline noise) for TrueAllele, and a 50 rfu threshold for the other methods. Using a threshold, or adjusting its level, can significantly change the match statistic, as mentioned in the talk.