TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2017//
TI  - DNA testing in homicide investigations
JO  - Medicine, science, and the law
A1  - Prahlow, Joseph A.
A1  - Cameron, Thomas
A1  - Arendt, Alexander
A1  - Cornelis, Kenneth
A1  - Bontrager, Anthony
A1  - Suth, Michael S.
A1  - Black, Lisa
A1  - Tobey, Rebbecca
A1  - Pollock, Sharon
A1  - Stur, Shawn
A1  - Cotter, Kenneth
A1  - Gabrielse, Joel
SP  - 179
EP  - 191
VL  - 57
IS  - 4
N2  - OBJECTIVES With the widespread use of DNA testing, police, death investigators, and attorneys need to be aware of the capabilities of this technology. This review provides an overview of scenarios where DNA evidence has played a major role in homicide investigations in order to highlight important educational issues for police, death investigators, forensic pathologists, and attorneys. <br><br>METHODS This was a nonrandom, observational, retrospective study. Data were obtained from the collective files of the authors from casework during a 15-year period, from 2000 through 2014. <br><br>RESULTS A series of nine scenarios, encompassing 11 deaths, is presented from the standpoint of the police and death investigation, the forensic pathology autopsy performance, the subsequent DNA testing of evidence, and, ultimately, the final adjudication of cases. Details of each case are presented, along with a discussion that focuses on important aspects of sample collection for potential DNA testing, especially at the crime scene and the autopsy. The presentation highlights the diversity of case and evidence types in which DNA testing played a valuable role in the successful prosecution of the case. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS By highlighting homicides where DNA testing contributed to the successful adjudication of cases, police, death investigators, forensic pathologists, and attorneys will be better informed regarding the types of evidence and situations where such testing is of potential value.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0025-8024
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0025802417721790
ID  - ref1
ER  -