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The Strange Case of the 'Time Travel' Murder
BBC ^ | 4/27

Posted on 05/01/2014 11:49:36 AM PDT by nickcarraway

A woman's body is found in London. DNA turns up a hit, yet the suspect apparently died weeks before the alleged victim. Here, forensic scientist Dr Mike Silverman tells the story of one of the strangest cases of his career.

It was a real-life mystery that could have come straight from the pages of a modern-day detective novel.

During the late 1970s... the idea of being able to identify someone from a few tiny drops of blood seemed like something out of science fiction”

A woman had been brutally murdered in London and biological material had been found under her fingernails, possibly indicating that she might have scratched her attacker just before she died.

A sample of the material was analysed and results compared with the National DNA database and quickly came back with a positive match.

The problem was, the "hit" identified a woman who had herself been murdered - a full three weeks before the death of her alleged "victim".

The killings had taken place in different areas of the capital and were being investigated by separate teams of detectives.

With no sign of a connection between the two women and nothing to suggest they had ever met, the most "likely" scenario was that the samples had been mixed-up or contaminated at the one obvious place that they had come together - the forensic laboratory. A complaint was made by the senior investigating officer.

It was 1997 and I was the national account manager for the Forensic Science Service at the time, so it was my responsibility to find out if a mistake had been made at the laboratory.

My first thought was that perhaps the second victim's fingernail clipping had been mislabelled and had actually come from the first victim all along.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Local News; Science; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: forensics; murder; scoience

1 posted on 05/01/2014 11:49:36 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

London! Ahha! Listen, I’ve always been suspicious of that Dr. Who character. He always has a young woman with him but he changes them like underwear.


2 posted on 05/01/2014 11:54:15 AM PDT by Gen.Blather
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To: nickcarraway

Fascinating story — thanks for posting it!


3 posted on 05/01/2014 12:00:41 PM PDT by Semper911 (When you want to rob Peter to pay Paul, you'll always have the support of Paul.)
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To: nickcarraway
Not sure why, but this story reminds me of this from yesterday:

A Texas Veterinarian Allegedly Kept A Family's Dog Alive For Blood Transfusions.

4 posted on 05/01/2014 12:06:03 PM PDT by Steely Tom (How do you feel about robbing Peter's robot?)
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To: Gen.Blather
No, not the Doctor.... Maybe the Master....

On Second thought...

Maybe the sixth doctor...

5 posted on 05/01/2014 12:06:16 PM PDT by GraceG
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To: Steely Tom

Real life Vampirism.


6 posted on 05/01/2014 12:06:52 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Well, that was an interesting read. Thank you:)


7 posted on 05/01/2014 12:08:20 PM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: nickcarraway

I`ll clip this article as a thumbnail sketch.


8 posted on 05/01/2014 12:12:00 PM PDT by bunkerhill7 ("The Second Amendment has no limits on firepower"-NY State Senator Kathleen A. Marchione.")
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To: nickcarraway

Interesting story. I had no idea that DNA testing had become so sensitive.

Actually, it’s frightening in a way when you consider how easily you could be framed for a crime based on DNA evidence planted carefully.


9 posted on 05/01/2014 12:24:19 PM PDT by chrisser (Senseless legislation does nothing to solve senseless violence.)
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To: nickcarraway
possibly indicating that she might have scratched her attacker just before she died.

Maybe the victim just has very poor fingernail hygiene.

10 posted on 05/01/2014 12:43:55 PM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Only Liberals can look at an amendment that says “shall not be infringed" and see blank parchment.)
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To: chrisser
Actually, it’s frightening in a way when you consider how easily you could be framed for a crime based on DNA evidence planted carefully.

Maybe we should be the ones walking around in those white paper suits!

11 posted on 05/01/2014 12:47:29 PM PDT by PistolPaknMama
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To: nickcarraway

A scientist who designed lab methods for DNA analyses once said in an interview, that evidence in police labs is often polluted with careless work. He was ignored by most television viewers in political chatter, because the the O. J. Simpson case was going on back then.


12 posted on 05/01/2014 12:48:13 PM PDT by familyop
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To: nickcarraway

Example: a vial of blood is opened in the lab. Micro-particles are released into the air and propagate throughout the lab.


13 posted on 05/01/2014 12:51:34 PM PDT by familyop
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To: nickcarraway

ping-a-ling-for later


14 posted on 05/01/2014 12:52:58 PM PDT by erod
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To: nickcarraway
Proper cleaning of equipment and supplies... not entirely a mystery. My thought was that the murderer planted the DNA under the fingernails, as a way to connect the crimes (a "calling card" perhaps?), or as a way to mock the police.

But then again, I watch waaaaay too many crime/law shows on TV. ;)

15 posted on 05/01/2014 12:55:36 PM PDT by Teacher317 (We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men)
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To: nickcarraway

We see no time travelers today because we probably destroy ourselves before we develop the technology.


16 posted on 05/01/2014 1:06:40 PM PDT by MUDDOG
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To: chrisser

They can get DNA off spent cartridges.


17 posted on 05/01/2014 2:06:57 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: nickcarraway

CSI-NY did an episode based on the German/French case with the 40 identical DNA samples turning out to be someone in a factory who manufactured equipment used in collection.


18 posted on 05/01/2014 2:17:05 PM PDT by EDINVA
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