When Good DNA Goes Bad International Conference on Forensic Research & Technology October, 2012...

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A person's genotype 8, ACGT A genetic locus has two DNA sentences, one from each parent. 9 locus Many alleles allow for many many allele pairs. A person's genotype is relatively unique. mother allele father allele repeated word An allele is the number of repeated words. A genotype at a locus is a pair of alleles.

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When Good DNA Goes Bad

International Conference onInternational Conference onForensic Research & TechnologyForensic Research & Technology

October, 2012October, 2012Chicago, IllinoisChicago, Illinois

Mark W Perlin, PhD, MD, PhDMark W Perlin, PhD, MD, PhDCybergenetics, Pittsburgh, PACybergenetics, Pittsburgh, PA

Cybergenetics © 2003-2012Cybergenetics © 2003-2012

DNA mixture evidence

Virginia reevaluates DNA evidence in 375 casesJuly 16, 2011

“Mixture cases are their own little nightmare,” says William Vosburgh, director of the D.C. police’s crime

lab. “It gets really tricky in a hurry.”

“If you show 10 colleagues a mixture, you will probably end up with 10 different answers”

Dr. Peter Gill, Human Identification E-Symposium, 2005

A person's genotype

8, 91 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

ACGT

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

A genetic locus has two DNA sentences,one from each parent.

9

locus

Many alleles allow formany many allele pairs. A person's genotype is relatively unique.

motherallele

fatherallele

repeated word

An allele is the numberof repeated words. A genotype at a locusis a pair of alleles.

DNA mixture genotypes

13 14

16 18

17 20

Allele size

DN

A a

mou

nt

First contributor

Second contributor

Third contributor

M. W. Perlin. "DNA identification science," In: Wecht CH, editor. Forensic Sciences. Albany, NY: LexisNexis® Matthew Bender®; 2012; Chapter 37C.

Good DNA evidence data

First contributor

Second contributor

Third contributor

Misinterpreted, data goes bad

Below threshold, data unused

Above threshold, peak heights are ignored

TrueAllele solves mixtures

13 14

16 18

17 20

First contributor

Second contributor

Third contributor

Objective & thorough;DNA match statistic

Perlin MW, Legler MM, Spencer CE, Smith JL, Allan WP, Belrose JL, Duceman BW. "Validating TrueAllele® DNA mixture interpretation," Journal of Forensic Sciences.

2011;56(6):1430-47.

Commonwealth v. LyonsLocation:

Crime:Evidence:

True information:Human guess:

Reason:Outcome:

Eastern United StatesMurderSweatshirt124Degraded mixtureDeath penalty

-15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15

369

Hum

an

Information

Commonwealth v. FoleyEastern United StatesMurderVictim's fingernails114Minor 7% DNA mixtureLife in prison

-15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15

369

Information

Location:Crime:

Evidence:True information:

Human guess:Reason:

Outcome:

Hum

an

M. W. Perlin, "The Blairsville slaying and the dawn of DNA computing," in Death Needs Answers: The Cold-Blooded Murder of Dr. John Yelenic,

A. Niapas, New Kensington, PA: Grelin Press, 2012.

The Queen v. ShiversNorthern IrelandMurder, terrorMobile phone90 (inconclusive)Low DNA amount25 years in prison

-15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15

369

Information

Location:Crime:

Evidence:True information:

Human guess:Reason:

Outcome:

Hum

an

M. W. Perlin & J. Galloway, "Computer DNA evidence interpretation in the Real IRA Massereene terrorist attack," Evidence Technology Magazine. 2012;10(3):20-23.

State v. Diggins

-15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15

369

Information

Location:Crime:

Evidence:True information:

Human guess:Reason:

Outcome:

Hum

an

Commonwealth v. Doe

-15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15

369

Information

Location:Crime:

Evidence:True information:

Human guess:Reason:

Outcome:

Hum

an

Quantitative interpretation:accurately excludes

suspect

othervictim?

Penta E locus

Allele length

Pea

k he

ight

Matchinformation

Computer -0.25

Human misinterpretationcan falsely implicate

Penta E locus

Allele length

Pea

k he

ight

Matchinformation

Computer -0.25

Human says nothing

ThresholdX X XX X

Computer reinterpretation,charges were dropped

information human computer

suspect 2 18

other 2 18

victim 2 0

Commonwealth v. Brown

-15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15

369

Information

Location:Crime:

Evidence:True information:

Human guess:Reason:

Outcome:

Hum

an

State v. SmithWestern United StatesAssault with weaponGun-10 (inconclusive)MixtureStill in prison

-15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15

369

Information

Location:Crime:

Evidence:True information:

Human guess:Reason:

Outcome:

Hum

an

DNA database exoneration?

Computer-inferredevidence genotype

Post-conviction testInformation < 0

The right person?Information ~ 9

10 million offendersCan’t use CODIS –Good data gone bad

M. W. Perlin, "Investigative DNA databases that preserve identification information," American Academy of Forensic Sciences 64th Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, 2012.

TrueAllele v. People

-15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15

369

Information

Hum

an

• Good DNA data can make identifications• Computer can determine true information• Human review does not always correlate• And then, good DNA data goes bad

More information

perlin@cybgen.com

http://www.cybgen.com/information• Courses• Newsletters• Newsroom• Presentations• Publications

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