I am listening to Prime Time Live. They are doing a story on Jack the Ripper.
Patricia Cornwell (writer also used to be a coroner) spent her own money to do DNA studies on Jack the Ripper.
One problem they had was when they collected the DNA they put it in a plastic sleave and heat sealed it. The probem she had with the DNA was the HEAT DEGENERATES THE DNA.
Dont they use heat in dry cleaning? If so how could they possibly have gotten a good sample of DNA off of Westerfields jacket?
Easy to do if it is planted after the fact.
Interesting that apparently Det. Ott used the same dry cleaners and the clerk acknowledged he came in but she didn't recall discussing the case with him.
Another detective had the receipt and checked four local dry cleaners looking for the right one, and didn't get a search warrant till the next day.
Also the jacket is described as a sport jacket, from what I saw it looked more like a windbreaker, ski jacket or cold weather jacket. Sports jacket is same as sport coat or blazer. Clerk did not recall anything about the jacket, other than it was a sport jacket. Of course the PD described the jacket he picked up , but could it have been a mix up? The name on the other items was mixed up and had to be corrected. Was something else cleaned in the same batch that had danielle's blood on it? Since the clothes came back with stains could the filter have been dirty? Transference?
Heat is usually used to take out wrinkles,finishing it, I had thought a test would be done by the defense to see if the dna would survive dry cleaning, however perc is not supposed to degrade it by itself.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/dry-cleaning2.htm