The identification of individuals through their genetic material, developed by Alec Jeffreys. It was first used to convict a criminal in the Colin Pitchfork case of 1988, and has since become a central technology for both conviction and exoneration.
Facts
What It ExaminesHighly variable regions of the human genome, compared between a crime scene sample and a known sample to establish or exclude a common source with quantifiable statistical weight. 1 Formalized YearSourced to the subject's own accountThe year Alec Jeffreys developed DNA fingerprinting at the University of Leicester. Known LimitationPartial, degraded or mixed samples from more than one contributor can reduce the statistical power of a match and complicate interpretation of the profile. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
CODIS is the national database infrastructure built on DNA profiling.
Forensic serology historically preceded DNA profiling and now commonly serves as its preliminary screening step.
The database holds DNA profiles taken from individuals and crime scenes for identification and matching.
Cases Where Used
A court-ordered independent review found numerous basic errors in how the contested DNA evidence was gathered and analyzed.
Post-conviction DNA testing matched semen evidence to Matias Reyes rather than to the five originally convicted teenagers.
The first murder conviction obtained through DNA profiling.
Investigative genetic genealogy built on a public genealogy-database DNA match identified Joseph James DeAngelo in 2018.
DNA analysis of preserved evidence identified Gary Ridgway two decades after the murders.
DNA evidence from blood at the scene and on physical evidence was central to the prosecution case.
Post-conviction DNA testing that found no biological evidence linking the defendants to the crime scene was central to the Alford plea that freed them in 2011.
Pioneered By
Sources
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.