Credit: DLI
DNA Labs International (DLI) has helped two long-standing cold cases in partnership with the Fairfax County Police Department. After decades of uncertainty, DLI used advanced DNA technology to help provide answers to law enforcement, victims and their families.
On Nov. 15, 1986, Jacqueline Lard, a 32-year-old real estate agent from Stafford County, vanished under mysterious circumstances. Following a brutal struggle at her office, her body was discovered by two juveniles under a carpet in a wooded area.
Three years later, in March 1989, 18-year-old Amy Baker disappeared while visiting family in Falls Church, Virginia. Her unoccupied vehicle was found, and a subsequent search by her family led to the discovery of her body in a nearby wooded area.
In 2020, detectives from the Fairfax County Police Department's cold case team collaborated with DNA Labs International to submit evidence from Baker's case for analysis. The breakthrough came through the use of the M-Vac System on clothing items related to the case, enabling the collection of sufficient DNA evidence for a profile to be uploaded to the Virginia database. This significant achievement led to linking evidence from the Baker murder to that of the murder of Jaqueline Lard.
Further investigative efforts involving forensic investigative genetic genealogy led to the identification of 65-year-old Elroy Harrison of Stafford County. Harrison was arrested on March 5, 2024, on multiple charges related to Lard's murder, including first-degree murder, abduction with the intent to defile, and aggravated malicious wounding of Lard, as well as breaking and entering with the intent to commit murder. The investigation into Baker's murder continues, with further developments anticipated.
“Our detectives leverage DNA Labs International’s technology to solve crimes that occurred decades ago. Cases once deemed cold are revitalized and we are able to hold these often violent criminals accountable,” said Chief of Police Kevin Davis.
DNA Labs International remains committed to supporting law enforcement agencies across the country in solving cold cases and bringing perpetrators to justice, demonstrating the profound impact of using forensic DNA technology in modern policing.
The M-Vac System is being utilized by an increasing number of police agencies and crime labs both in the United States and internationally. As investigators are assigned difficult cases, having a tool like the M-Vac immediately available helps immensely. It can collect critical DNA evidence from a variety of surfaces at the crime scene, in the evidence processing facility or in the crime lab.
Republished courtesy of DNA Labs International