Rape Accuser Had Photo ID'd Possible DNA Match

NBC CHANNEL 17 ^ | 5/11/06

[Howlin]

The live part is not on there, but it would have been that same day, I think.

I wish we could search FR by date, like we use to be able to!

[Jezebelle]

That's a possibility. And arresting the cabbie didn't help, either. But I have no doubt he'll get the indictment, and I think that's why Nifong is holding the test results. He doesn't want there to be a news cycle during which a valid analysis of the results can be broadcast because that might queer his little kangaroo court with the GJ.

[Jezebelle]

Good plan.

[Jezebelle]

Tissue can be a skin cell.

[Sacajaweau]

Found an interesting tidbit: "To detect possible contamination of DNA samples during handling, evidence DNA profiles are often compared with those from detectives at the crime scene, the victim, a randomly chosen person or a DNA profile from a database."

From this side of the fence, I'd say the victim is the kid that lives there. Pick another place where his DNA would be MORE frequent. The other two left....and this is all NiFong has left.

Why do I think NiFong will enter a hospital soon....with a mild heart attack?? He's made a big freak'n mess of this and the gov isn't going to let it slide.

[txrangerette]

I realize it's all in the definition of "tissue". But media reports imply it is consistent with her story that she scratched him, and the nail broke off (supposedly with enough stuff lodged on the underside of the nail to "nail" someone). How would this play out in court? The nature of this material could be key, could it not? To whether the Defense can say it just fell on the nail or the nail fell on it in the trashcan, or whether the Prosecution can say it was consistent with her story that she scratched it off during the "rape"?

[RecallMoran]

"the gov isn't going to let it slide."

Do we know something on that front? The state is going to have to step in at some point. This guy is nuts and this gov appointed him (but he did win the primary). I guess this gives us a lesson on the dangerousness of a pure democracy at least in Durham, N.C.

[Jezebelle]

Howlin, I didn't know there were states, or at least one state, that has no speedy trial statute and no pre-trial probable cause proceeding in which the prosecution's prima facie case can be cross-examined, among other rather shocking shortcomings. It took me a full week to grasp that there will be no probable cause examination, for starters. I'm still having trouble acknowledging that.

[Sacajaweau]

I believe the governor would appoint the replacement. I believe that's how NiFong his job in the first place.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

I can tell you that the BP only spiked after 15 minutes of stunned silence when he realized his minor child was forced to make a statement and was not given the benefit of his Miranda Rights or given the right to make a phone call. Trust me on this, though I don't know the parents, but was part of the dress rehersal for this farce in another U.S. city.

[Locomotive Breath]

The stories around the Duke heirs (some I witnessed) was even worse.

I verify that.

While I was there she was busily moving successful high spirited frats to unattractive housing either on east or in new dorms to bring down their rush numbers. From what I hear she has succeeded mightily.

With the goal of making Main West less of a concentrated party atmosphere and so as to reduce the number of incidents with which she had to deal. So now the parties have been forced off campus and she has this to deal with a serious rape case. Memo to Dean Sue: Study the Law of Unintended Consequences.

I always wondered why they didn't take a small slice of Duke Forest on the other side of NC 751 and make it "Fraternity Row". The national chapters would have built Duke a ton of housing for free and then the frat guys could make all the noise they wanted without bothering anyone but themselves. Free enterprise at work. A concept too difficult to master for the socialist university.

[Jezebelle]

That is so very true, and a profound observation.

[Neverforget01]

How would this play out in court

I pray to God it never gets there. The lineup was beyond suggestive. Everytime I see the line up testimony I want to scream! A multiple choice test with no wrong answers is how someone put it. A passed out drunk remembers who did what. And I'm the queen of England.

[snarkytart]

I think someone posted that even a small amount of flesh would provide a DNA marker strong enough for a match.

[Jezebelle]

But tissue is made of cells. The talking heads can be saying "tissue" when in fact it's merely a single skin cell or two resulting from casual transfer. If the similarity between the evidence at the exemplar isn't within the guideline to be deemed a "match", it would be prejudicial of the judge to allow it in. Of course, selling it to the GJ as a "match" is a much simpler matter, and isn't regulated by the court. It's only regulated by the ethical standards of the prosecutor, Since the prosecutor has no ethical standards, rest assured that the test results, no matter how weak, will be spun as a "match" by Nifong to the GJ.

[Locomotive Breath]

What? NC 98 and Holloway Street not doing it for you?

[Howlin]

Not lately!

[darbymcgill]

The live part is not on there, but it would have been that same day, I think

Are you looking for this video: no DNA matches returned

found here

[Locomotive Breath]

So they couldn't match all 13 loci. So my question is: did they recover all 13 loci from the nail and some of the 13 not match or could they NOT recover all 13 loci from the nail and THAT's the reason for the partial match.

What I'm getting at, if there was a very small amount of "tissue", wouldn't that increase the difficulty of recovery. In other words, the "tissue" was just a trace?

[Floragator]

I may have missed this in the thousands of posts about this case, but doesn't the 6th amendment of the US Constitution guarantee the right to a speedy trial?