Author Profile

Genealogist, Philanthropist Carla Davis Teams With Othram to ID Two Bodies
April 25, 2022
Working with philanthropist and genealogist Carla Davis, Othram has identified two sets of unrelated human remains found in 2018 and 2020. read more
DDP Links Jawbone Found in 2014 to Missing Fisherman
April 25, 2022
The DNA Doe Project, working with the Michigan State Police have determined that a jaw bone washed up on a beach in July 2014 belonged to Ronald Wayne Jager, a fisherman who disappeared in August 2000. read more
Tracking Opioid Distribution Networks Through Modeling and Citizen Intelligence
April 22, 2022
New research highlights the power of computer modeling and community-based intelligence to reveal network connections. read more
Lessons Learned from Preventing Human Trafficking at the Super Bowl
April 22, 2022
Blom’s decades of experience in law enforcement prepared him to oversee a team of investigators who played a critical role in executing Super Bowl LVI security operations. read more
Genealogy Leads to Suspect Who Posed as Radio DJ to Lure, Rape Teenage Girl
April 22, 2022
The incident was reported the same day, and forensic evidence was collected. Over the past 35 years, detectives eliminated more than 70 possible suspects. read more
Illinois Terrorism Center Named Center of the Year
April 22, 2022
Operated by the Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation, the STIC serves as the designated state fusion center and is a one-stop resource for law enforcement officers to obtain information related to criminal activity and terrorism. read more
Conn. Senator Announces Grant for State, Local Police Forensics Training
April 22, 2022
Richard Blumenthal announced $120,000 in federal funding for the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science at the University of New Haven to provide local police with the latest hands-on training for investigating hate crimes and shootings. read more
The Fifth Victim of the Happy Face Killer Finally Gets Her Name Back
April 20, 2022
On April 13, 2022—29 years after her murder— the DNA Doe Project (DDP) and cold case detectives at the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department identified the once-unknown woman as Patricia Skiple. read more
DA's New Innocence Commission Gets its First Exoneration in 32-Year-Old Case
April 20, 2022
Following an extensive review and investigation by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Innocence Commission, Joaquin Ciria has been exonerated of being wrongly convicted of killing Felix Bastarrica. read more
Empowering Bomb Squads with DIY Innovations
April 20, 2022
Bomb technicians’ ability to expect the unexpected and adjust accordingly has created a consistent pipeline of do-it-yourself (DIY) inventions to solve everyday issues they face. read more
State High Court Won’t Hear Inmate Appeal as Execution Looms
April 20, 2022
The Tennessee Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the appeal of an inmate facing execution this week who sought to have his case reopened after an unknown person’s DNA was found on one of the murder weapons. read more
Ancestry's New Tool Separates DNA into Parental Sides
April 20, 2022
Ancestry's SideView technology is a first-of-its-kind scientific innovation that separates DNA into parental sides, giving AncestryDNA customers new insights into which side of the family they inherited their genetics from. read more
Study: Muscled Bodies Do Not Bias Eyewitness Identification
April 18, 2022
There has been story after story of how DNA found on a murder weapon or at the scene of the crime proves the innocence of an incarcerated person. Those stories typically have a common thread: the guilty verdict hinged on an eyewitness account. read more
'Cowboy Hat Bandit' ID'ed after 19 Years, But Dies Before Arrest
April 18, 2022
Officer Jeff Garner was shot on March 3, 2003, after attempting to stop a man who, unknown to Garner, had just robbed a bank in Watauga, Texas. read more
Veteran Doe Network Helps ID 1978 Homicide Victim
April 18, 2022
An extensive investigation was conducted at the time the remains were found, but the victim remained unidentified, and no suspects were identified. read more
Arkansas State Crime Lab Gets $250,000 to Support Opioid Death Investigations
April 18, 2022
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced a $250,000 allocation for essential transportation related to opioid deaths across Arkansas. read more
Gang Study: Former Partners-in-crime Likely to Turn Violent on One Another
April 18, 2022
The first study to take a “network analysis” approach to patterns of violence within UK organized crime gangs (OCG) has shown that OCG members who previously offended together are likely to end up attacking one another. read more
Conducting Digital Forensics in the Field
April 15, 2022
Sometimes it may be necessary to engage in digital field forensics—that is, the collection and, if possible, viewing of digital evidence at the scene in order to make quick decisions about a person at risk, or about preventing future crimes. read more
Genetic Genealogy Leads to Arrest in 1990 Rape, Murder
April 15, 2022
During the investigation, an unknown STR DNA profile was identified from the body of Negersmith. This profile was compared with multiple individuals of interest over the years all with negative results. read more
Indiana Police Partner with Othram to ID 1992 Jane Doe
April 15, 2022
A dental analysis suggested that the young woman was between 17-22 years old when she died. Early on, the death was treated as suspicious and the case was submit to FBI ViCAP. read more