TrueAllele solves 1963 Winnebago cold case using “inconclusive” DNA

Back to Trials

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v Ralph Skundrich

DNA snares serial rapist and forger

Crime On July 25, 2002, a Pittsburgh college student, 18, was threatened with a gun and sexually assaulted in her Shadyside apartment.
Evidence The victim's jeans and t-shirt contained biological evidence.
DNA The Allegheny County crime lab developed DNA data from the two evidence items.
Match The lab's manual analysis found a match statistic of 630 thousand between the t-shirt and Ralph Skundrich. Their statistic for the jeans was 280 thousand.
TrueAllele On the same data, the computer's statistic connecting the t-shirt with Mr. Skundrich was 4.04 quadrillion. For the jeans, the match statistic was 2.1 quadrillion.
Cybergenetics    On January 10, 2014, Dr. Mark Perlin testified at the Pittsburgh trial about the DNA match statistics in this case.
Outcome Mr. Skundrich was found guilty on multiple counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and sexual assault. He faces a sentence of 75 to 150 years.
Media