From the LASD on Nixle: On March 15, 2011, the LA County District Attorney’s Office filed murder charges against Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter for the 1985 murder of John Sohus(26). Gerhartsreiter, of German nationality, is also known as Christopher Chichester or Clark Rockefeller. “In February of 1985, John (26) and Linda Sohus (28) disappeared from their home in the 1900 block […]
Forensics
Guest post about Elizabeth Pfeifer
The Girl Behind the Blue Eyes – Who Was Elizabeth Pfeifer? I was asked by Alice to write about my sister, Elizabeth Pfeifer. Although the young woman I knew would be willing to come forward and speak for herself, she can’t. You won’t hear from Elizabeth because she’s been missing since April 12, 1986. Elizabeth […]
Interpretation of a DNA Match
“What Are the Chances? Interpretation of a DNA Match” is a guest blog post by Sue Carney. Didn’t someone once say “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”? Whoever said it is another story, but the point I’m making is that when numbers are used to support a point of view, […]
Update Manchester Building Female Skeleton
Remember the Manchester Building Female Skeleton I posted about? Police is still trying to find out who the lady was. “Workmen unearthed a skeleton while digging up the former car park on land between Angel Street, Dantzic Street and Miller Street – an area known as Angel Meadow. Police believed the remains could have been […]
Hope for Skinner!
Good news for Hank Skinner: USSC Justice Ginsburg, writing for the majority, said prison inmates may use a federal civil rights law to seek DNA testing that was not performed before their conviction. Lower federal courts had dismissed Skinner’s claims at an early stage, although other federal judges have allowed similar lawsuits to go forward […]
Update Hank Johnson
On July 10, 2008, Hank Johnson was found by his girlfriend on the floor of his hotel room. He was severely beaten and covered in his own blood. The beating with baseball bats left three cracks in his skull and a fatally cracked nose. He never regained consciousness. Hank died less than two weeks later. Police found […]
Update Moira Holly Branagan
We have renewed activity in the Branagan case. Currently, we are actively investigating Holly’s former friends, classmates, and neighbourhood kids. What we are looking for is: abrupt behavioural changes right after the murder which one of her former friends/classmates committed suicide which one of her former friends/classmates has been committed to a psychiatric hospital which one […]
Update Stephen Miera
Stephen Miera‘s family has provided me with more details. Stephen was the oldest child and only son of Stephen M. Miera Sr. and Carmen Baca Miera. The Mieras also had five daughters: Rosaline Perea, Lucille Miera (married to a man with the same last name), Edna O’Loughlin, Patricia Young, and the youngest Antonia Light. Antonia, the baby of the family, […]
Continuance in Trey Noah murder trial
District Judge Keith Williams granted a continuance in the murder trial of Trey Noah, Kendalia, Texas. “Shelby Moore, 19, and Brandon Harber, 20, were arrested and charged in connection with the crime and were expected in court this week to stand trial. Moore is being held in the Bandera County Jail. Harber posted a $300,000 […]
DNA Profiling in Cold Cases – The UK Process
Please welcome our first guest blogger: Sue Carney. Sue is an FSS senior forensic scientist. Her areas of expertise include body fluid interpretation and DNA evidence. She has worked on a number of cold cases. You can follow Sue on Twitter. _________________________ DNA Profiling in Cold Cases – The UK Process by Sue Carney DNA profiling […]