Dna In Criminal Investigation

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Introduction What is DNA? The scientific definition is “deoxyribonucleic acid, the biological polymer that stores the genetic information in all free-living organisms. Now that the definition has been stated, let’s now define what DNA means to a crime scene or case investigator. This paper will explore deoxyribonucleic acid, also famously known as (DNA). How it is collected and its relationship to solving crimes. The collection of DNA is one of the most important steps in identifying a suspect in a crime. DNA evidence can either convict or exonerate an individual of a crime. There are many different forms of DNA that are tested for different situations, but it’s use for the purpose of this paper will focus on criminal investigation. It also…show more content…
DNA has also brought justice to those who have been brutally victimized of rape and sexual abuse by atrocious conniving sex predators. Bodily fluids, hair follicles and bone tissues are some of the most common types of DNA that are recovered and tested in most crime labs today. Once a crime has been committed the most important thing to do is to secure the crime scene, because the item or items that are recovered can be crucial evidence left at the scene, that can be used for DNA testing to help solve a crime, identify a body or find a suspect. This means if any Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is left at the crime scene, by a suspect they could then be linked to the crime and eventually charged. However, this method was not always available to law enforcement to help track down a suspect. Before the advancement in scientific DNA, detectives used to use bite marks, blood stain detection, blood grouping as the primary tool to identify a suspect. DNA can be left or collected from the hair, saliva, blood, mucus, semen, urine, fecal matter, and even…show more content…
DNA was very important when it came to cracking a cold case that was unsolved in a town called Mesa in Arizona, this murder case had gone cold for two decades. The incident began on October 13, 1993, when Mesa firefighters were called to an apartment fire near Mesa Drive and McKellips Road. When the firefighters arrived at the scene, they found a bystander who was on the scene and was able to put out most of the fire with a nearby garden hose. Evidence at the scene indicated to the investigators that the fire had been deliberately set. During the course of a suspected arson investigation, a deceased female later identified as Debra Shipton was discovered on a bed in the master bedroom. Her hands and feet were bound, and when investigators examined the body it was discovered that she had six gunshot wounds in her back. Despite an extensive investigation, the case had gone cold when all leads and tips had been

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