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For months the police could not identify the body .
But they then took a break with a pioneering technology that only required a small amount of DNA to create a picture of what a person might look like. With the help of this appearance, the police were able to identify the victim and then arrest his murderer. He was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
But it's not just about identifying Jane and John does. This same technology has helped police create potential similarities with killers.
With a single drop of blood, a composite image was created to help the authorities catch another man who brutally assaulted a 17-year-old girl in New Mexico and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. This also led to the arrest of a man accused of murdering a 25-year-old woman in Texas who had never been considered a crime suspect. His trial is in progress.
The technology is based on the fact that DNA has a set of specific instructions regarding the physical characteristics of a person. A small sample is enough to extract tens of thousands of genetic options and create an informed prediction of what a person might look like.
Parabon NanoLabs, one of the companies offering this technology, has been collaborating with law enforcement since 2015. This service, which costs around $ 3,000 per composite image, has already assisted in more than 40 case.
"In many of the cases we are working on, it turned out that the police had some information that directed them in a particular direction and that our information was completely redirected," said Dr. Ellen Greytak. CNN Business.
"You know, you are not looking for a person of this description, you are looking for a person with that very different description, and once they rotate and start to engage in that way, they can find her."
DNA phenotyping is different from traditional DNA profiling, which relies on the relevant DNA match of a crime scene with the resulting DNA potential individuals. With DNA phenotyping, there is no match, so the relevant DNA is used alone, without the need to compare it to the DNA already collected and present in the system.
"We are bringing completely new ways of analyzing forensic DNA," said Greytak.
"The traditional analysis of forensic DNA is limited to:" This DNA originating from Can a crime scene be associated with an already identified suspect or a database? "And that's good for that, but if you do not find a match, it will not tell you anything about it. # 39; other. We can generate leads only from the DNA present at the crime scene. "
Parabon stated that the information that he predicts is generally observable by the public, such as the color of the eyes and hair.When he uses genealogical information, he is supportive on public databases, such as Ancestry.com.
But some experts claim that access in this way to DNA and genetic information, and that the predictive nature of technology is worrisome.
Arthur Caplan, professor of bioethics at the NYU's Department of Population Health, said that "the consent is not as explicit and clear as it should be" 39
He explained that public databases in genology may not realize that it is used this way.But he said that the use DNA caused less concern.
"The confidentiality of DNA is tr s fragile, "he said." You lose your DNA anywhere you go. In part, it's ethical because DNA is left everywhere. It would be something else to enter your home and approach your bed when you are asleep and try to make a tampon out of your mouth. "
He noted that the collection of DNA from blood found outside the home of someone was not so different from getting it." DNA of a cigarette butt or a jar of coffee discarded.
Although he said that science is not yet 100% accurate, he noted that this will only improve as the science and understanding of genomes improve.
"Our genes hide all kinds of information," he said. "All n & rsquo; Is not there but a lot. "
There are already clear limits.Compounds can not reveal the age of an individual and can not lead directly to a conviction by them- same, but as a jerk, it could help the police refine its search.
Also in Greytak, the technology will help law enforcement agencies solve active cases faster and reduce the number e of existing cold cases.
"Cases will not have to go cold," Greytak said.
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