Free Republic

For the first time in the U.S., an identical twin has been convicted of a crime based on DNA analysis. The breakthrough came from Parabon Nanolabs, who’s scientists used deep whole genome sequencing to identify extremely rare “somatic mutations” that differentiated Russell Marubbio and his twin, John. The results were admitted as evidence in court, making last week’s conviction of Russell in the 1987 rape of a 50-year-old woman a landmark case. Case background On Dec. 19, 1987, the victim, a 50-year-old woman, was working as a clerk at a gas station in Woodbridge, Va. She left the store to...

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — Newly released Putnam County Sheriff’s Office body-worn camera video shows the moments before and after a pipe bomb exploded on a deputy in April. Action News Jax told you when Charles Legault of Crescent City, was stopped for a traffic violation on Fri., April 5 at the intersection of Moseley Avenue and U.S. 17 in Palatka. Sgt. Ryan Owens was searching the vehicle when a makeshift “pipe bomb” discharged, releasing a white substance on Owens. It was later determined to be chlorine and brake fluid cleaner. The video, which is about 16 minutes long, starts with...

A Florida man has been arrested after driving through someone’s yard, losing his bumper, then being caught with Fentanyl. According to investigators, shortly before 12:30 a.m. on Monday, deputies stopped a vehicle missing a rear bumper. Prior to the traffic stop, dispatchers received a call in San Mateo that a vehicle drove through their yard and one occupant of the vehicle had jumped out. A rear bumper fell off when the car left the yard onto Kyte Road. The driver of the vehicle, Michael Givens, 27, of Palatka had a suspended license. Deputies conducted a search of the vehicle and...

Federal authorities arrested a Jordanian national possibly linked to Mohamed Atta, the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, at a Hollywood train station early Thursday.Mohammed Amin, who sources say has a dozen aliases, was arrested as he boarded an Amtrak train with a ticket to Palatka, a town of 10,000 people 60 miles south of Jacksonville.Federal sources told WTVJ-NBC 6 that Amin's final destination might have been Washington, D.C.When Amin showed up for his 11:01 a.m. train, three FBI agents and two Immigration and Naturalization Service agents were waiting for him.They later transported Amin to Krome Detention Center in Miami-Dade,...