German DNA mix-up ends search for suspected killer

[The Straight Story]

German DNA mix-up ends search for suspected killer

19 hours ago

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — German investigators' search for a mysterious suspected killer has ended with an embarrassing discovery: identical DNA traces common to dozens of crime scenes stemmed from contaminated cotton swabs.

The DNA had been found at the scenes of about 40 crimes over recent years in Germany, Austria and France, ranging from restaurant break-ins to the shooting of a policewoman. The common DNA prompted police to search for a woman German media called the "phantom killer."

However, officials said Friday they had determined that the DNA came from an innocent woman at an unidentified Bavarian packaging company involved in producing the cotton swabs used to collect evidence.

"The puzzle of the phantom killer has been solved," said Volker Link, a prosecutor from Heilbronn — the scene of a policewoman's fatal 2007 shooting, the most prominent crime linked to the mystery suspect.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iEPt22F_xcWatGRrX5ludZOsSM5AD976HRM00

[Lasher]

1. And there are 40 crimes where DNA evidence must be thrown out.

Makes me wonder if any innocent people have been convicted, and if any guilty criminals released, based on faulty DNA tests.

[The Straight Story]

2. Indeed - the science behind DNA is one thing, the people doing the work are another matter

shit happens - which is why I convicting on dna alone is bad idea (not saying we do, but folks sure do in the press).

[Lasher]

3. DNA profiling often trumps all other evidence.

Particularly considering the article you've shared, this should not be so.

[LisaL]

5. DNA tests are becoming so sensitive that

it's extremely easy to contaminate the evidence with some DNA unrelated to the crime.

[LisaL]

4. I don't think they will have to throw anything out.

They matched the contaminating DNA to whoever produced the swabs. If they did find someone else's DNA and then able to match it to the suspect, I fail to see why they'd have to throw that out.
By the way this kind of thing could potentially lead to exoneration of guilty persons based on unknown DNA "found" on the scene, but shouldn't really lead to any innocent people being convicted.