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San Diego Uses Genealogy to ID Murder Victim For the First Time
In December 2020, the Cold Case Team identified the woman's adult son. Through DNA, the unidentified woman was positively identified as Laurie Diane Potter. read more
Texas' Highest Criminal Court Declares Lydell Grant Innocent
A Houston man who had been convicted in a 2010 fatal stabbing but was later eliminated as the killer by DNA evidence was declared innocent last week by Texas' highest criminal court. read more
Scientists Hope DNA Can Solve Mystery of Where Christopher Columbus was Born
A definitive answer to the question of where the famous explorer came from could be just five months away as international scientists launched an effort to read the DNA from his remains and identify his geographic origin. read more
MALDI Technology Yields Biometric Data From Fingermarks
Researchers have found that technology known as MALDI-MSI can be applied at crime scenes for the tandem detection of human blood and DNA-typing from enhanced fingerprints. read more
Illuminating Invisible Bloody Fingerprints with a Fluorescent Polymer
Researchers have developed a fluorescent polymer that binds to blood in a fingerprint—without damaging any DNA also on the surface—to create high-contrast images. read more
Charges Filed for Serial Sexual Assaults After Crime Lab Processes Backlogged Kits
"This outcome is exactly what local prosecutors were hoping for when the Attorney General and the DOJ redoubled the efforts to get all remaining cold case sexual assault evidence tested a few years ago,” said Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley. read more
Mexican Police Find Bones Under Floor of Accused Killer
Police have turned up bones and other evidence under the floor of a dwelling near Mexico City where a man was arrested for allegedly stabbing a woman to death and hacking up her body. read more
Forensic Memory Detection Tests Less Effective in Older Adults
Findings show that concealed information tests relying on electrical activity of the brain are ineffective in older adults because of changes to recognition-related brain activity that occurs with aging. read more
Women in Forensics: The Value of Inclusive Workplace Appearance Policies
Special Feature
Between workplace appearance policies that felt restrictive and uncomfortable conversations regarding social injustice, Powell felt she had to make a change—from forensics to entrepreneur. read more
Back to the Beginning: First Forensic DNA Technology Solves Cold Case Rape
In a unique solution that would make Doc Brown proud, a team of forensic scientists solved a 1988 rape case by going back to the beginning—leveraging the equipment and techniques that were considered the gold standard over three decades ago. read more
Australian Police Exhume Body of Unknown Man Found in 1948
If a DNA profile can be obtained, subject to the amount and quality of the DNA, a forensic case meeting will be held to formulate the most appropriate DNA strategy forward. read more
S.C. County to Reinter Ancestral Remains of Black Individuals Enslaved on Plantation
In early 2007, Stevens transported the remains to the Biological Anthropology Laboratory at the University of South Carolina for further study. He conducted extensive research over a period of years to determine their origin read more
GEDmatch Partners with Genetic Affairs to Offer New Tools for Users
GEDmatch announced the release of three new tools that will enhance the experience for its 1.1 million users. The tools—Autocluster, Autopedigree and Autotree—were developed by EJ Blom of Genetic Affairs. read more
Smartphone Breathalyzers Vary Widely in Accuracy
The latest generation of personal alcohol breath testing devices pair with smartphones. While some of these devices were found to be relatively accurate, others may mislead users. read more
How DNA Databases Solve Cold Case Rapes
This year, a panel of previous Hit of the Year judges, crime lab experts and police personnel all come together—virtually—to discuss how DNA databases changed the course of four special cases, getting them back on the path toward justice. read more