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Remains Found in Alabama in 2012 Identified as Georgia Woman
January 17, 2022
Human remains found almost a decade ago at an abandoned house near Talladega Superspeedway during a race weekend have been identified as those of a Georgia woman. read more
Funding Awarded for Kentucky Sex Assault Kit Investigation
January 17, 2022
Almost $850,000 in federal funding has been awarded to the Kentucky State Police sexual assault kit initiative investigative team. read more
Official: Police Used Fake DNA Reports During Interrogations
January 14, 2022
Virginia Beach police used forged documents that linked people’s DNA to a crime to get them to confess or cooperate with investigators, Virginia’s outgoing attorney general announced this week. read more
Identification of Remains Found in 1981 Help Change Familial DNA Policy
January 14, 2022
After a review of all of the information and evidence that exists, the exact cause of death will most likely never be known, however, there is nothing at this time that appears indicative of obvious criminal activity. read more
Improving Bruise Detection with Alternate Light
January 14, 2022
An inaccurate documentation of injuries can be detrimental to the victim’s legal case against their attacker as well as to the victim’s medical treatment. read more
Forensic Lab Aids Crack Down on Illegal Wildlife Trade in Vietnam
January 14, 2022
Despite travel bans and other COVID-19 restrictions, the small team at Vietnam’s wildlife forensic lab has been bolstering police efforts to crack down on illegal trafficking, with support from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. read more
Researchers Hope to Shed Light on 19th Century Remains
January 14, 2022
The remains of at least 44 adults and nine children were uncovered 28 years ago during construction of the Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building, and are believed to be largely of African descent. read more
Minnesota Police Leverage Genetic Genealogy to ID 1970 Homicide Victim
January 12, 2022
In August 2003, skeletal remains were found during an excavation project by a land owner. It was believed the body was that of a Caucasian male, 20-28 years old and had been buried for 3 to 28 years. read more
First Olympic Anti-Doping Charges Filed In Manhattan Federal Court
January 12, 2022
The Complaint unsealed today alleges that ERIC LIRA, a “naturopathic” therapist obtained various performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and distributed those PEDs to certain athletes in advance of, and for the purpose of cheating at, the 2020 Olympic Games held in Tokyo in the summer of 2021. read more
Grant Will Enhance Crime Gun Intelligence Center in Ohio
January 12, 2022
A $700,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice was recently awarded to the Cuyahoga County Crime Gun Intelligence Center. read more
Smartphone Evidence on Human Rights Abuse in the Age of Deepfakes
January 12, 2022
A Swansea law expert has been awarded €1.5 million to examine how public perceptions of deepfakes affect trust in user-generated evidence of human rights violations. read more
Ancient DNA Reveals the World’s Oldest Family Tree
January 12, 2022
Analyzing ancient DNA from a Neolithic tomb in Britain, an international team of geneticists and archeologists have mapped out the family tree of a group of 27 close biological relatives who lived around 3700 BC. read more
Attorney Sues Virginia Forensic Lab for Withholding DNA Records
January 10, 2022
Hall believes the lab results were changed for prosecutors’ convenience, depriving law enforcement of an opportunity to connect Tinsley to the crime in 1984. read more
DDP IDs Skeletal Remains Found in 1997
January 10, 2022
Initial lab work failed to produce a workable DNA sample but in April 2021 samples were combined and enriched at HudsonAlpha Discovery Labs, and a successful DNA profile was obtained. read more
Justice Department Awards Over $210 Million to Forensic Initiatives
January 10, 2022
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs announced grant awards totaling more than $210 million to fund crime laboratories, support research, decrease DNA backlogs and help law enforcement identify missing persons. read more
908 Devices, U.S. Forest Service to Collaborate on Toxic Pesticide Detection
January 10, 2022
Drug traffickers plant marijuana in remote areas on U.S. federal lands, mainly in the Pacific Southwest, and use toxic and illegal pesticides to accelerate crop growth. read more
Non-profit Forensic Lab to Head Tulsa Race Massacre DNA Identification
January 10, 2022
In what feels like the epitome of a “perfect match,” the City of Tulsa has awarded a grant to Intermountain Forensics to help identify bodies thought to be associated with the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. read more
Could Genetic Genealogy Provide a Lead in JonBenet Ramsey Case?
January 05, 2022
A recent statement from the City of Boulder and the Boulder Police Department has people wondering if IGG can solve an even more well-known case that captivated the nation 25 years ago and still today—the murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey. read more
Ohio's G.O.L.D. Unit IDs 3 More Sexual Assault Suspects from 20 Most Wanted
January 05, 2022
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office’s G.O.L.D. Unit (Genetic Operations Linking DNA) has identified three more “most wanted” suspects from a pilot project that included genealogical searches for 20 DNA profiles connected to cold case sexual assaults. read more
Forensic Scientists Trying to Pull DNA Off Purse Thought to Belong to Bonnie of Bonnie and Clyde
January 05, 2022
Faculty members from UCO conducted DNA tests and fingerprint scans on the purse in hopes of finding indisputable evidence. read more