Case Report: Coincidental Inclusion in a 17-Locus Y-STR Mixture, Wrongful Conviction and Exoneration

Greg Hampikian, Gianluca Peri, Shih-Shiang Lo, Mon-Hwa Chin, Kuo-Lan Liu

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8 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the case of a suspect (Suspect-3) who was convicted (and later exonerated) of participating in the multiple-attacker rape of two women. The forensic evidence against him was his inclusion in a 17-marker Y-STR mixture isolated from semen on one victim’s clothing. The DNA inclusion produced a match statistic with a combined probability of inclusion of 1 in 741, and a Likelihood Ratio of 3296. While the defense team was told that Suspect-3 was included in the semen DNA mixture, they were not told that all of the Y-STR alleles could also be explained by just the other two accused attackers’ haplotypes. Suspect-3 was subsequently freed after the Taiwan Association for Innocence requested re-examination of the incriminating mixed DNA sample. The Criminal Investigation Bureau was then able to exclude him using an extended set of Y-STR markers (23 loci), leading to his exoneration.
Original languageAmerican English
JournalForensic Science International: Genetics
DOIs
StatePublished - 7 Aug 2017

Keywords

  • DNA mixture
  • Y-STR
  • coincidental inclusion
  • complex DNA
  • exoneration
  • innocence

EGS Disciplines

  • Biology
  • Genetics and Genomics
  • Forensic Science and Technology

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