Florida Judge Allows STRmix Use in Toddler Murder Case
WASHINGTON (PRWEB) July 19, 2018 -- A Florida Circuit Court judge recently denied a defense motion to exclude DNA results produced by STRmix™ – the sophisticated forensic software used to resolve mixed DNA profiles previously thought to be too complex to interpret – ultimately leading to first-degree murder convictions for the two defendants in the fatal shooting of 22-month-old Aiden McClendon.
Separate juries found Henry Hayes and Kquame Richardson guilty in the drive-by shooting which took the life of the toddler. Chief Assistant Attorney L.E. Hutton charged that the shooting was linked to gang rivalry between the 187 Gang and Problem Child Entertainment, the gang to which both defendants belonged.
Defense in State of Florida v. Richardson (Fourth Judicial Circuit, Case #16-2017-CF-002883-AXXX-MA) had argued that DNA evidence which showed that Richardson had come in contact with at least one gun recovered by process of elimination should be excluded because STRmix™ -- which had been used to analyze DNA on the firearm – did not meet either the Frye standard or the Daubert standard.
In denying the defense motion, however, Circuit Judge Steven B. Whittington dismissed such claims, affirming that STRmix™ met both the Frye and Daubert standards.
The Frye standard requires that a new or novel scientific technique be generally accepted in the relevant scientific community, and that the particular evidence derived from the technique and used in an individual case has a foundation that is scientifically reliable.
Daubert is the standard used to assess whether an expert’s scientific testimony is based on reasoning or methodology that is scientifically valid and can properly be applied to the facts at issue. Factors considered in determining the validity of a methodology include whether it has been (1) subjected to rigorous testing and validated, (2) published and peer reviewed, and (3) generally accepted in the scientific community, as well as in federal and state courts throughout the U.S.
Judge Whittington’s decision regarding STRmix™ admissibility is in line with previous court decisions, including State of Michigan v. Marlon Anthony Burns (Case No. 16-39193-FC) which affirmed that STRmix™ satisfied the Daubert criteria for reliability.
Thirty-four U.S. labs now routinely use STRmix™ in resolving DNA profiles. This includes everything from federal agencies such as the ATF and the FBI to state and local agencies. STRmix™ is also in various stages of installation, validation, and training in 56 other U.S. labs.
Internationally, STRmix™ has been used in casework since 2012, and has been used to interpret DNA evidence in thousands of cases. It is currently in use in labs in Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Canada.
STRmix™ was developed by John Buckleton and Jo-Anne Bright of the New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) and Duncan Taylor from Forensic Science South Australia (FSSA).
“STRmix™ provides numerous advantages over historical methods of DNA profile analysis and greater statistical power for estimating evidentiary weight, all of which can be used reliably in human identification testing,” notes Buckleton.
An updated version of STRmix™ – STRmix™ v2.6 – is expected to be launched later this year. STRmix™ v2.6 will feature a user interface that has been completely redeveloped and refreshed, providing users with vastly improved usability and workflow. It will also enable a range of contributors to be entered when performing a deconvolution, while any type of stutter can be added and configured (called generalized stutter).
For more information about STRmix™ visit http://www.esr.cri.nz/ or http://strmix.esr.cri.nz/.
Ray Weiss, Weiss PR, Inc., +1 (443) 451-7144, [email protected]
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