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GIST: "The methodology of Investigative Genetic Genealogy will go on trial in Canada. The hearing is set for the week of June 19-23.
The case is brought by the defense for double-murder suspect Leonard Cochrane. Cochrane is on trial for two counts of first-degree murder in the July 11, 1994 shooting deaths of Barry Buchart and Trevor Deakins.
There is a lot online about the cases.
A quick search will give you all the details.
The important part is what the defense is doing. It asks similar questions the defense did for Jerry Lynn Burns in the 1979 Michelle Martinko murder.
Aside from the possible innocence or guilt of criminal defendants, genetic testing is not without controversy. So, what is happening in Calgary is important.
Here in the USA, absent federal regulations, it too will be up to the courts to strike a fair balance between investigation and privacy.
The courts will have to take a position on genetic testing and the research methods used. Can they withstand the Daubert standard, i.e. is there prove that this methodology of Investigative Genetic Genealogy is in general accepted by the scientific community. Are there other methods? I wrote more posts about that, link here.
The case:
“Justice Keith Yamauchi said lead homicide investigator Det. Ken Carriere and two genetic genealogists can be questioned on the methodology used in the investigative genetic genealogy (IGG), that helped identify Cochrane as a suspect in a cold-case double homicide.”
DNA found at the crime scene was uploaded and compared to samples in online databases.
What followed then is familiar as we have seen it in several high profile cases. Simply put: in the databases similar DNA profiles are found, genetic genealogists build a sample pool, reduce the pool by building family trees, and compare to the crime scene.
Then traditional police investigations of those people who partially match reduce the pool further.
Then they try to tie people to the crime scene and the victims, try to get discarded materials containing DNA from remaining suspects, and last, compare those samples to the DNA found at the crime scene.
A trial to watch."
The entire post can be read at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG, AT THE LINK BELOW: HL:
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985
FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
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YET ANOTHER FINAL WORD:
David Hammond, one of Broadwater’s attorneys who sought his exoneration, told the Syracuse Post-Standard, “Sprinkle some junk science onto a faulty identification, and it’s the perfect recipe for a wrongful conviction.”
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