DNA, DNA, DNA - Delphi Trial Day Nine, So Far

Source: Li Buszka / Sketch Artist

DELPHI, Ind. — DNA evidence was the main focus of the first half of testimony Monday in the Delphi murders trial.

Stacy Bozinovski, forensic scientist and DNA analyst with the Indiana State Police Lab, testified that she went through all of the swabs and fibers tested following the 2017 murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German.

Hairs found around the fingers of Williams belong to Liberty’s older sister Kelsi, confirmed Bozinovski. She also testified that male DNA was found on some swabs, but she clarified that finding male DNA on some of the areas swabbed was “not necessarily an unusual result.”

Swabs also indicated possible semen, but no semen was officially detected.

DNA testing on the cartridge was “insufficient for further analysis”, and Bozinovski testified that DNA can be hard to pull from cartridges because they’re so small.

Partial profiles were found, but there wasn’t enough to develop a profile.

An unknown male did alert investigators, but it turned out to be a lab employee. Lab employees had to be reminded to wear protective equipment.

Three hairs collected were not consistent with Abby and Libby, Bozinovski testified. She stated there are tests that could analyze hairs without a root, but the lab was afraid of destroying the samples, so they did not move forward with testing. Bozinovski said hair tests of this nature also yielded low success rates.

Through all of this testimony, there was not one link between suspect Richard Allen and the crime scene.

When asked directly if Allen’s DNA was found, Bozinovski said no.

Further explanation of the DNA process, per our news-gathering partners at WISH-TV:

Bozinovski told the jury how difficult it was to get swabs and recover DNA from the creek and says the challenge of testing hair was that it needs to have a skin tag at the root and that natural shedding doesn’t have much of a possibility for DNA testing.

She told the jury she did send a sample of human hair to the FBI that consisted of 72 hairs. The FBI told Bozinovski that 3 of the hairs were “not consistent” with Libby or Abby. She told the jury she chose not to test using “rootless” hair testing as there was not enough hairs to even send and there was a low success rate for the testing.

Bozinovski tells the jury that a momentary moment of touch does not necessarily mean there is touch DNA, that touching evidence is more limited contact, while handling evidence leads to more contact. She says blood is always going to be a better source of DNA than touch DNA.

Court is still in session. This article will be updated as more information is made available.

DNA, DNA, DNA – Delphi Trial Day Nine, So Far was originally published on wibc.com