Updates: 2020/02/16Page started from notes/news created on the subject on this same day. More material has been added here.
IN THIS SECTION DNA Found Crime Scene Arizona Colorado New Mexico
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DNA AT CRIME SCENE
How Can a Person's DNA Be Found at a Crime Scene? Written by Milton Kazmeyer
https //education seattlepi.com/can-persons-dna-found-crime-scene-4514 html
Excerpt: One of the most valuable tools in criminology is the ability to test evidence for DNA samples. A positive
DNA match can place a suspect at the scene of a crime even when there are no witnesses, making the
investigator's job much easier. Someone may leave DNA at a crime scene iSkin cells and hair are other ways in
which a criminal may leave DNA evidence at a crime scene. Dead skin cells and hair follicles naturally fall
away from the body on a regular basis, and their presence at the crime scene may provide enough
information for DNA analysis….Bodily Fluids…One of the most common sources of DNA at a crime scene is
a bodily fluid. Blood, saliva, sweat, urine and semen can readily provide DNA information at crime scenes,
as can just about any other substance secreted or excreted by the body. Depending on the nature of the
crime, one or more of these fluids may be present, and investigators…Skin and Hair: Skin cells and hair are
other ways in which a criminal may leave DNA evidence at a crime scene. Dead skin cells and hair follicles
naturally fall away from the body on a regular basis, and their presence at the crime scene may provide
enough information for DNA analysis. In addition, if a struggle occurred, a victim might have skin cells
from a criminal trapped underneath his fingernails, or could pull out hair follicles or catch…Touch DNA:
Touch DNA refers to the oils and epithelial cells left whenever a person touches any object. Any time your
skin contacts another surface, it may leave trace amounts of your DNA behind. In the past, the relatively
small number of residual cells made this type of sample unsuitable for DNA profiling, but technology has
reduced the amount of material necessary to create a DNA profile
https //education seattlepi.com/can-persons-dna-found-crime-scene-4514 html
[Extracted from internet 2020/02/16]
ARIZONA
NBC News
(2018) Familial DNA puts elusive killers behind bars but only 12 staters use it. By James Rainey.
https //www nbcnews com/news/us-news/familial-dna-puts-elusive-killers-behind-bars-only-12-states-
n869711
Excerpt: Familial DNA puts elusive killers behind bars. But only 12 states use it. Why isn’t it used more
widely? Two years into the investigation of Allison Feldman’s murder in Scottsdale, Arizona, the police had
run out of options. They had interviewed more than 500 people, cataloged dozens of pieces of evidence
and canvassed every house within a half mile of Feldman’s low-slung ranch home, where the popular 31-
year-old saleswoman had been sexually assaulted and beaten to death. DNA found in Feldman’s dining
room and on a beer bottle had been detectives’ best lead. But, despite repeated queries, America’s vast
crime databases had failed to match the DNA to a suspect. Stymied, Scottsdale police appealed to Arizona
officials to widen the parameters of the DNA search in a way the state had never done before. The
detectives wanted to probe for the next best thing to a direct DNA hit — a match to anyone closely related
to the mystery intruder. About a year later, and more than three years after the grisly 2015 murder in a city
known for very little violent crime, Scottsdale police and Arizona law enforcement leaders announced on
April 10 that their unusual gambit had paid off. Using software that searches for “familial” DNA links,
crime lab technicians found a near match with an Arizona prison inmate. Days later, Scottsdale police
arrested the inmate’s brother, Ian L. Mitcham, and charged him with Feldman’s murder. “It was like ‘Wow!
It actually worked.’ I couldn’t believe we had finally gotten to this point,” said Sgt. Hugh Lockerby,
Scottsdale’s top violent crimes investigator. “It’s a real success story.”
https //www nbcnews com/news/us-news/familial-dna-puts-elusive-killers-behind-bars-only-12-states-
n869711
COLORADO
Colorado Sun
(2019/07/29) DNA testing leads to break in decades-old Colorado murder case. But privacy questions are
being raised. Police used a DNA database and a fast food cup to zero in on a suspect in the 1987 death of
20-year-old Fort Carson soldier Darlene Krashoc. By Carol McKinley
https //coloradosun com/2019/07/29/colorado-cold-case-michael-whyte-darlene-krashoc/
Excerpt: ichael Whyte drove out of a parking lot, his belly full of fast food lunch, oblivious that police
detectives had been watching him eat. Now, they were gingerly collecting the cup they had seen him
drink from just minutes earlier. The two were eager with anticipation because, after more than three
decades of fruitless leads, they hoped that the answer to the mystery of who killed 20-year-old Darlene
“Krash” Krashoc might be in the saliva that lined the rim of an abandoned fast food cup.
The story of how Whyte surfaced after 32 years is one of hope and resilience on the part of a generation of
investigators and a set of parents who still carry their daughter’s picture in their Bible.
https //coloradosun com/2019/07/29/colorado-cold-case-michael-whyte-darlene-krashoc/
NEW MEXICO
Carlsbad, Katie’s Law
Only In Your State - New Mexico
New Mexico Cold Case Solved
https //www onlyinyourstate com/new-mexico/nm-cold-case-solved/
Excerpt: This Creepy New Mexico Cold Case From 14 Years Ago Has Finally Been Solved
On Christmas day, in 2002, Sasha Hedgecock was discovered in an alfalfa field in Carlsbad. The 21-
year-old woman had been shot seven times. She died from her injuries several days later in
Covenant Medical Hospital in Lubbock. It is only now, after 14 years, that an arrest has been made in
this case. And that’s due to Katie’s Law.
The law was created following the 2003 rape and murder of 22-year-old Katie Sepich in Las Cruces.
The original version of Katie’s Law, which passed in 2006, mandated that anyone arrested for a
violent felony had to provide authorities with a DNA sample. Such samples could then be run
against evidence from other open cases.
In 2011, the lawmakers unanimously voted to expand the law to require samples from anyone
arrested for a felony crime. It has resulted in over 500 DNA matches, including the one in this case.
https //www onlyinyourstate com/new-mexico/nm-cold-case-solved/
APD New DNA Equipment
KRQE
(2020/02/03) New DNA equipment will help APD solve crimes faster. By Brittany Bade
https //www krqe com/news/albuquerque-metro/new-dna-equipment-will-help-apd-solve-crimes-
faster/
Excerpt: Getting a DNA match will soon take a fraction of the time, that it takes now. Albuquerque
Police Department’s new state of the art DNA lab is just weeks away from being fully up and
running.
“Before it would take at least 2-3 weeks and I’m really hoping we can get down to a week,” said
Andrew Dowling, the DNA Technical Leader…Bought with money from last year’s legislature, three
new specialty machines are now housed at APD’s crime lab. One is meant specifically for rape cases.
“It would take any of the victim’s cells, separate those off, and then we’re left with just the sperm
cells,” said Dowling.
The machine uses a centrifuge to separate all the DNA, and give analysts a “clean” sample in just 90
minutes. The backlogged rape kits should all be tested within the next few months, and when they
are APD believe these machines will help them quickly start testing another backlog.
“We have about 4,000 property crime cases we’re trying to get through,” said Commander
Christopher George with the Albuquerque Police Department.
The Qiagen Machine can test up to 84 samples at a time at the APD lab. Ultimately, this frees up
time and money at the state lab which allows them to help other agencies across the state.
https //www krqe com/news/albuquerque-metro/new-dna-equipment-will-help-apd-solve-crimes-
faster/
DNA Evidence
Gathering