Why did the public have to wait weeks and weeks for DNA testing in the Scott Peterson case and in the Lacy Peterson remains? I suppose the technology and techniques have improved? What lab performed the tests on the relative and the remains of Laden? I would think the FBI would be used but there may be a lab in Afghanistan set up for rapid ID? Does anyone know?
That’s because they used civilian criminal forensics labs in addition to obsolete DNA testing techniques. The contemporary DNA testing techniques can be accomplished by any 3rd year biology undergrad student in an afternoon (provided they have unfettered access to the necessary lab equipment).
My suspicion is that they had ‘hot’ lab facilities in standby for necessary comprehensive testing. The SEAL team probably had DNA-lab-on-chip kit with them and preliminary results were established by the time they RTB’d. This probably resulted in the 99.9% certainty, i.e., 1:1000 profile. Then they implemented more sophisticated in-lab testing - at minimul mitochondrial DNA to establish familial relationship - which resulted in whatever probabilities were deemed sufficient, i.e., 1:100000, 1:1000000, 1:10000000, etc. Badda-boom, Bing! Bing! Bing! We have a winner, and he became clam-food.
The final confirmation probably took no longer than 4 hrs after Team 6 RTB’d. Reports are that he was sleeping with the fish w/in 8 hours of the operation.
It's not just technology and techniques have probably improved, basic biological and genetic knowledge are still being learned. There is some value in those gov't grants.
I don't follow murder cases very closely once it's obvious the suspect appears to be a creep. The Wikipedia entry for the Peterson case had nothing about DNA.
I know nothing about your last three questions.