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09-May-2014
TrueAllele Helps Prosecutors Secure Two Guilty Pleas This Week
New York child rapist and Pennsylvania murderer are convicted
PITTSBURGH, PA, May 9, 2014
Crime laboratories generate excellent DNA data, but often cannot interpret mixed samples containing two or more individuals. And so critical DNA evidence -- collected by police, processed by labs, and paid for by taxpayers -- may never be used for criminal justice. A hundred thousand DNA items have been orphaned by inadequate data interpretation.
Cybergenetics TrueAllele® Casework is a proven computing technology that rescues orphaned DNA evidence. TrueAllele's sophisticated computing thoroughly assesses a lab's DNA data, and produces an objective match statistic. Scientifically validated TrueAllele analysis has helped in hundreds of criminal cases, for both prosecution and defense.
A New York father was thought to have raped his daughter every week, from age seven for seven years. This week, he pleaded guilty to third degree rape in a Westchester courthouse. The key physical evidence was TrueAllele results on five semen stains from his bedroom blanket.
The crime lab couldn't statistically assess the DNA mixtures because the father and daughter were related. TrueAllele analysis of the data resolved the mixtures. Computer separation put the daughter's DNA on the blanket with a match statistic of seventy quadrillion.
"A District Attorney protects the public," said Dr. Mark Perlin, Cybergenetics Chief Scientific Officer. "Using Cybergenetics TrueAllele, the DA could achieve a just outcome, without subjecting a young victim to further torment in the courtroom."
In York County this week, a Pennsylvania man pleaded to third-degree murder in the stabbing death of a 42 year old neighbor in her home. The crime laboratory could not fully interpret the DNA mixture, but TrueAllele's match statistic of six quintillion placed the woman's blood in the murderer's house. "The plea saves the family the trauma of another trial," said Chief Deputy Prosecutor Tim Barker.
"There is no excuse for forensic failure," said Dr. Perlin. "Prosecutors can go that extra yard, and bring in validated science to properly interpret their important DNA evidence."
The New York State Police and Cybergenetics published TrueAllele Casework validation studies in 2011 and 2013. The NYSP Albany crime lab has approval from the NYS Commission on Forensic Science to start using their TrueAllele system for forensic casework.
Cybergenetics develops patented TrueAllele technology that objectively interprets DNA evidence, providing computer systems and databases to crime labs, and expert witness services for criminal cases. The Pittsburgh-based company was founded in 1994, and is privately held.