Cold Cases
WHAT BODE CAN OFFER
- Asistance with identifying evidence from cold cases that are suitable for DNA Testing
- A team of qualified analysts dedicated to the screening of unscreened evidence and/or processing of screened evidence from a wide array of sample types ranging from very old samples, samples containing minimal amounts of DNA, and degraded samples
- Specialized Touch DNA Sampling Procedures, such as scraping and tape lifting, to increase the likelihood of obtaining a DNA profile from samples that have been touched
- Y-Screening to screen female victim samples for the presence of male DNA
SUCCESS WITH COLD CASES
Improvements in DNA sampling along with increasingly sensitive testing methods have enabled scientists to obtain results from cases that were once unsolvable. Some examples of the success that Bode has had processing cold cases include the following:
- Touch DNA collection procedures were applied to evidence from the JonBenet Ramsey cold case that resulted in a potentially probative DNA profile
- 47 Vaginal smear slides prepared prior to 1997 were recently processed using STR analysis, 19 profiles were uploaded into CODIS and resulted in 12 hits.
- Over 3000 highly compromised bone fragments from World Trade Center victims were processed in 2006-2007 and of these over 2000 reportable profiles were generated, resulting in new identifications from samples previously unidentified.
- Collaboration with the Virginia Department of Forensic Science on the largest post-conviction project in the country has led to their review of over 2000 cases that are up to 3 decades old, resulting in the exoneration of multiple innocent victims.
Bode’s staff understands the complexities and challenges associated with cold cases, and has extensive experience and success in processing evidence from cases dating back as far as the early 1900s. Bode’s scientists routinely work with investigators from state and federal agencies to review cold cases and develop specific examination strategies for each case. Furthermore, Bode experts regularly provide training seminars to cold case investigators, focusing on techniques that may lead to the resolution of their cold cases.
AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES
ACCREDITATION
Bode’s laboratory is one of the few private facilities worldwide to receive both ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from Forensic Quality Services- International Division and accreditation from the American Society of Crime Lab Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD-LAB).
