No government bodies regulate forensic labs, that should make you wonder. If DNA plays such a huge role in criminal court, why is it that there is no federal oversight? Even the best labs can make mistakes. The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology landed at the center of the high-profile case of Cynthia Sommer, a […]
Archives for January 2010
DNA evidence jeopardized by faulty refrigerator
January 31, 2010 By
DNA evidence jeopardized by faulty refrigerator at the Colorado Springs Police Department. Their spokesman Lt. David Whitlock said experts don’t believe it will endanger any criminal cases. The Colorado Springs police crime lab is under fire for erring on dozens of blood-alcohol tests in drunken driving cases. The official said that this was not related to the faulty […]
Identifying the Lost Soldiers of Fromelles
January 30, 2010 By
Identifying the Lost Soldiers of Fromelles is a great BBC Magazine article on another use of DNA: to identify the remains of World War I soldiers found in mass graves in France. “The remains of 250 British and Australian soldiers had lain undiscovered for 93 years since falling on the Western Front.Boots, purses, toothbrushes and […]
New tip in Teekah Lewis case
January 29, 2010 By
New tip in Teekah Lewis case has police exploring Tacoma Park. Teekah Lewis was 2 years old when she disappeared from the now-defunct New Frontier Lanes in Tacoma on Jan. 23, 1999. Teekah was with her family in a bowling alley late in the evening. Her mother kept an eye on her except for one moment […]
Who killed Mike Silcock?
January 28, 2010 By
Who killed Mike Silcock? On Friday, March 6, 2009, Officer Mike Silcock from the Greater Manchester Police, was killed. Mike was off duty when he was killed on Didsbury Road, Heaton Mersey, around 11:30pm. He was taken to Stepping Hill hospital with a serious head injuries. He died shortly later. A yellow BMW Three Series […]
How police caught Hutchinson
January 28, 2010 By
How police caught Hutchinson for the murder of Colette Aram featured on the new program BBC Crimewatch. The BBC article (link below) describes the forensic evidence and analysis, including a taunting letter Hutchinson wrote to police in which he bragged about the crime. Colette was sixteen years old in 1983 when she was raped and murdered by […]
Parole for the “Onion Field Killer” or not?
January 27, 2010 By
Parole for the “Onion Field Killer” or not? On March 9, 1963, Gregory Powell and his accomplice, Jimmy Lee Smith, drove around Los Angeles looking for a liquor store to rob. Officers Ian Campbell and Karl Hettinger were on patrol in Hollywood. They pulled the two thieves over. What should have been a routine stop turned […]
