Prahlow Joseph A, Cameron Thomas, Arendt Alexander, Cornelis Kenneth, Bontrager Anthony, Suth Michael S, Black Lisa, Tobey Rebbecca, Pollock Sharon, Stur Shawn, Cotter Kenneth, Gabrielse Joel
1 Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, USA.
2 Metro Homicide Unit, USA.
Med Sci Law. 2017 Oct;57(4):179-191. doi: 10.1177/0025802417721790. Epub 2017 Aug 4.
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. 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. 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. 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.
目的 随着DNA检测的广泛应用，警察、死因调查人员和律师需要了解这项技术的能力。本综述概述了DNA证据在杀人案件调查中发挥重要作用的各种情形，以突出对警察、死因调查人员、法医病理学家和律师而言重要的教育问题。方法 这是一项非随机、观察性、回顾性研究。数据取自作者们2000年至2014年15年间的案件工作汇总档案。结果 从警察和死因调查、法医病理尸检工作、随后的证据DNA检测以及最终案件裁决的角度，呈现了一系列九个情形，涉及11起死亡事件。介绍了每个案件的细节，并着重讨论了为进行潜在DNA检测而进行样本采集的重要方面，尤其是在犯罪现场和尸检时。该展示突出了DNA检测在成功起诉案件中发挥重要作用的案件和证据类型的多样性。结论 通过突出DNA检测有助于案件成功裁决的杀人案件，警察、死因调查人员、法医病理学家和律师将更清楚地了解此类检测具有潜在价值的证据类型和情形。
