TrueAllele solves 1963 Winnebago cold case using “inconclusive” DNA

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State of Louisiana v Christopher Hutsell

Water bottle DNA places killer with victim at scene

Crime On March 19, 2015, 23 year old Julia 'Zoe' Anderson died of a single stab wound to her chest in a New Orleans McDonald's restaurant parking lot.
Evidence A water bottle was recovered from the crime scene.
DNA The Louisiana State Police Crime Lab developed DNA data from the water bottle, a mixture of at least two people.
Match The lab's mixture interpretation could not produce a match statistic from the bottle's DNA mixture data.
TrueAllele On the same DNA data, Cybergenetics TrueAllele® computer found the mixture was 50% Hutsell and 25% Anderson. By placing them both together at the murder scene, TrueAllele corroborated eyewitness testimony, contradicting Hutsell's claim he wasn't there.
Cybergenetics    On November 12, 2015, Cybergenetics Dr. Mark Perlin testified about the TrueAllele results before a New Orleans jury.
Outcome The jury convicted Hutsell on November 17 of second-degree murder. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Media

  • Woman dies after being stabbed at Elysian Fields McDonald's The Times-Picayune
  • NOPD investigating stabbing at Elysian Fields McDonald's The Times-Picayune
  • McDonald's stabbing victim IDed by Orleans coroner The Times-Picayune
  • Man charged in girlfriend's stabbing at Elysian Fields McDonald's opts for murder trial The Times-Picayune
  • Julia Anderson, happy Indiana girl, hit the road. It ended with her dead in a New Orleans parking lot The Times-Picayune
  • Trial begins for man accused of fatally stabbing fellow transient The Times-Picayune
  • Jury convicts Christopher Hutsell in stabbing death of Indiana transient The Times-Picayune
  • Julia Anderson