HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Season E. Seferyn, M.S.F.S, a parentage DNA analyst at the Marshall University Forensic Science Center, presented findings from a property crimes project at a conference sponsored by the International Association for Identification earlier this month.
The Marshall University Forensic Science Center provided DNA analysis on evidence from 1,227 property crimes cases for the Miami-Dade Police Department Crime Laboratory from February 2007 through July 2009 as part of a collaborative effort coordinated by the National Institute of Justice. The project involved the identification of criminals by generating DNA profiles and entry of the profiles into CODIS, the COmbined DNA Index System. Information continues to be gathered on hits generated in CODIS to identify single perpetrators with multiple crimes and to identify serial events.
The presentation, titled “A Crime Scene Snapshot: A Look into Property Crime Cases from Miami, Fla.,” addressed findings from DNA test results of evidentiary items recovered from crime scenes. The information presented at the conference is expected to assist crime scene investigators with collection of evidence that may yield the best results from DNA testing, thus identifying the perpetrator. Items were classified into categories including house, clothing, vehicle, tools and weapons. Evidence containing oral samples, blood and “touch” samples yielded DNA profiles from perpetrators.
The IAI held its 98th Annual International Educational Conference Aug. 4-10, in Providence, R.I. The annual conference attracts more than 1,000 participants and features workshops and presentations given by leading experts in forensic identification and related fields.
This project was supported by award numbers 2005-MU-BX-K020, 2008-DN-BX-K219, and 2009-IJ-CX-K111 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice.