Forensic DNA Past, Present, Future Kathy Sullivan Illinois State Police Joliet Forensic Science Laboratory

Case Study: Jeffrey Knight Homicide from Kankakee County in December, 1997 A head, hands and feet were found in a garbage bag in the woods Jeffrey Knight was suspected of killing his step mother, Marguerite, and disposing of her partially dismembered body

Case Study: Jeffrey Knight Screening results: many blood stains found, but only some were human DNA results: performed using DQ-alpha/Polymarker and D1S80

Case Study: Jeffrey Knight Stains found around the barn, on a reciprocating saw and the trunk and floorboard of a car match Marguerite Knight Random match probability is 2.1 billion Blacks, 5.4 million Hispanics and 5.3 million Whites Jeffrey Knight was convicted and sentenced to 60 years in prison (he is eligible for parole December 2027)

Case Study: Timothy Evans Summer of 2002 A series of night-time home invasions and sexual assaults begins in Joliet and Bolingbrook Media names the assailant the “Nightcrawler”

Case Study: Timothy Evans Evidence from one of the “Nightcrawler” sexual assaults is received by the lab in May 2003 Underpants of the young victim are submitted to be tested for biological fluids (semen and saliva)

Case Study: Timothy Evans Testing indictes saliva on the crotch lining and the stain is removed for DNA analysis

Case Study: Timothy Evans DNA analysis yields a mixture of profiles consistent with the victim and one additional male contributor

Case Study: Timothy Evans Minor male DNA profile is entered into the DNA Index June 11, 2003 a match is reported to a sample from an Aurora case two years before The matching sample is a standard from Timothy Evans

Case Study: Timothy Evans Joliet Police Department is notified and on June 14 th the suspect is arrested Confirmatory analysis verifies the match Random match probability of 1 in 20 billion Blacks, 1 in 310 billion Hispanics and 1 in 330 billion Whites

Case Study: Timothy Evans 15,17 19,21 X,Y14,1529,30 15,16 11,13 12,129,11

Case Study: Timothy Evans X,Y 15,17 9,11 6,79,99,10 9,11

Case Study: Timothy Evans Timothy Evans pleaded guilty to the charges against him and was sentenced to 50 years in prison The DNA evidence and CODIS hit were instrumental in providing law enforcement with the link to the assailant

Advances in DNA Technologies Yield Gel = how much DNA? QuantiBlot = how much is human?

Advances in DNA Technologies Quantification Procedure Tells how much human DNA AND how much male DNA is in the sample

Advances in DNA Technologies RFLP

Advances in DNA Technologies RFLP PCR: –D1S80

Advances in DNA Technologies RFLP PCR: –D1S80 –DQ-alpha –Polymarker

Advances in DNA Technologies RFLP PCR: –D1S80 –DQ-alpha –Polymarker –STRs

Advances in DNA Technologies RFLP PCR: –D1S80 –DQ-alpha –Polymarker –STRs –Y-STRs

Additional Technologies Mitochondrial DNA

On the Horizon Larger STR multiplexes

On the Horizon Larger STR multiplexes Automation – fluid handling systems

On the Horizon Larger STR multiplexes Automation – fluid handling systems High-throughput detection systems

On the Horizon Larger STR multiplexes Automation – fluid handling systems High-throughput detection systems Accreditation

Forensic DNA Past, Present, Future Kathy Sullivan Joliet Forensic Science Lab 515 E. Woodruff Road Joliet, Illinois