October 10, 2012 (Press-News.org) Texas Man Faces Capital Murder Charge 32 Years After Crime
Recently, a 53-year-old man was arrested and placed in custody on a capital murder charge, which dates back to the 1980 death of a 73-year-old Williamson County, Texas, woman. The charges allege that the man raped and strangled the deceased woman.
Before he was charged, the case had taken another path. Originally, a different suspect was pinpointed for the crime. A convicted serial killer had confessed to the murder; however, his admission was discredited in the late 1980s.
Decades later, DNA connected the 53-year-old man to the case through the process of forensic analysis. Specifically, the defendant's DNA was catalogued in the federal DNA database and in June 2012, an administrator with a Texas crime lab matched DNA samples that linked the defendant to the 1980 crime scene.
In addition, further forensic testing determined a fingerprint found at the scene of the murder matched the defendant's.
Recent reports indicate that the suspect is being held in the Williamson County Jail on a $1 million bond.
DNA Analysis: Critical in Criminal Cases
The pending case demonstrates the importance of DNA testing in criminal cases. When this case opened, a person wrongfully admitted to the crime. Unfortunately, false admissions are commonplace. Therefore, it is imperative to have solid forensic testing, which affirms or dispels preconceived notions of criminal guilt. DNA testing is one way to do this.
Specifically, 0.1 percent of DNA differs from one person to the next. Scientists analyze different parts of each sample to develop a DNA profile of an individual. The profile is generated from samples of blood, hair, bone and other body tissues.
In criminal cases, DNA analysis involves collecting samples from the crime scene and any potential suspects. Then, forensic scientists analyze the DNA samples, looking for the presence of a specific set of DNA markers.
If the sample profiles from the crime scene do not match the DNA characteristics of the suspect, it is likely that the suspect did not contribute DNA to the crime. On the other hand, if the profiles from the scene match the DNA structure of the suspected individual, the person may have contributed the sample to the crime scene.
In this particular case, the DNA samples collected from the crime scene were matched against profiles that were stored in database. This created a DNA match, which potentially places the 53-year-old man at the crime scene.
DNA analysis is complex, and multiple types of DNA tests assist with forensic analysis.
If he is found guilty, the man will be subject to capital punishment. A capital case is a question of life and death, and Texas is home to the nation's most active execution chamber. Nevertheless, criminal investigations continually utilize DNA and other forensic testing in an effort to make convictions solid. This science serves as an important piece of the criminal justice system.
If you have been charged with or convicted of a serious crime, you should speak to a knowledgeable criminal law attorney. A lawyer can demand that your investigation is protected and supported by requisite science, or review the protocols that were used if your investigation was in the past.
Article provided by Patrick L. Hancock
Visit us at www.hancockcriminaldefense.com
Texas Man Faces Capital Murder Charge 32 Years After Crime
Recently, a 53-year-old Texas man was arrested on a capital murder charge, which dates back to the 1980 death of a 73-year-old woman. DNA evidence connected the defendant to the crime.
2012-10-10
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
California Health Care Providers Can Dispute Denied Insurance Claims
2012-10-10
California Health Care Providers Can Dispute Denied Insurance Claims
The American health care system is rife with complications. Though health care providers rightly want to focus on helping their patients get healthy and stay well, they also need to get paid for their work. Unfortunately, health care providers too often find themselves fighting with insurance companies to get appropriate reimbursement for the medical treatment they have provided.
When an insurance company wrongly denies a claim, a health care provider has a right to appeal the denial and take legal ...
Connecticut Supreme Court Upholds Medical Negligence Verdict
2012-10-10
Connecticut Supreme Court Upholds Medical Negligence Verdict
People who suffer injury or prolonged illness due to medical malpractice deserve access to justice and compensation for protracted suffering, ongoing medical expenses and other damages. When a doctor or oncologist fails to diagnose cancer or another serious illness, a patient can lose precious time to fight a serious or terminal condition.
A recent case before the Connecticut Supreme Court involved a woman's lawsuit against an obstetrician and gynecologist whom a jury had found negligent for failing to properly ...
Employees Should Be Wary of Classification Enforcement
2012-10-10
Employees Should Be Wary of Classification Enforcement
According to numerous reports, the U.S. Department of Labor has become more aggressive in enforcing wage and hour laws, and there are a number of cautionary tales that should keep employers vigilant in following employee classification rules. For instance, more DOL investigators are conducting unannounced wage and hour investigations, catching many employers unprepared.
According to the National Restaurant Association, the DOL collected $225 million in back payments for wage and hour violations last year. While ...
NFL Makes Major Grant for Brain Injury Research
2012-10-10
NFL Makes Major Grant for Brain Injury Research
In any personal injury action that involves head trauma, the injury victim's attorney must work diligently to document the full extent and effects of the resulting brain injury. This often presents challenges, because the harm suffered is not always immediately apparent, and patient recovery times can vary substantially.
Medical research into the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injuries recently received a significant boost due to increased attention toward the long-term effects of concussions on professional ...
New Jersey Foreclosure Trends and Hope on the Horizon
2012-10-10
New Jersey Foreclosure Trends and Hope on the Horizon
RealtyTrac, a firm that tracks the U.S. foreclosure market, reported that August 2012 foreclosures were up nationally by 1 percent from July, but down 15 percent from August 2011. Bank repossessions, called REOs for short, were also down 2 percent in August from July 2012 and down 19 percent from the year before. That's good news for homeowners and communities in general, but 20 states still saw increased foreclosure activity in August 2012 from the previous year.
New Jersey Numbers
Among those states was New ...
Property Division in Georgia Divorces: Two Recent Cases
2012-10-10
Property Division in Georgia Divorces: Two Recent Cases
To modern ears, the common law conception of marriage sounds like a bad joke or possibly a feminist nightmare. The husband and wife were one, but the husband was the one.
Today, of course, a wife's separate property isn't subsumed into her husband's estate, as on the popular PBS series "Downton Abbey." Instead, when a couple divorces, most property is fair game for equitable division.
Two recent Georgia divorce cases are a reminder, however, that each party to a marriage can also have separate property.
Retirement ...
Study Shows More Males Engage in Distracted Driving
2012-10-10
Study Shows More Males Engage in Distracted Driving
Connecticut drivers have probably heard about the increasing number of distracted drivers on the road. Distracted driving has resulted in numerous accidents with tragic consequences.
Although females are often characterized by the media as being chatty, a new report shows that the highest numbers of distracted drivers in Connecticut are males. Connecticut was amongst the first states to impose a ban on handheld cellphones as well as texting while driving.
Since this ban went into effect in 2006, males have consistently ...
Keeping the Auditors Out of Your Small Business
2012-10-10
Keeping the Auditors Out of Your Small Business
According to data compiled by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), there are nearly 28 million small businesses in the country today. Small businesses are an integral part of the American economy, employing about half of the country's workforce. No one would dispute that, for the most part, these businesses are run by hard-working, honest people who are earnestly trying to comply with the thousands of pages of federal regulations that make up the country's tax code.
Sometimes mistakes are made, and ...
Modification of Georgia Child Support Turns on Judicial Discretion
2012-10-10
Modification of Georgia Child Support Turns on Judicial Discretion
The Great Recession officially ended in 2009. The after-effects continue to be felt, however, in the uncertain economy that has followed.
In this altered economy, income or asset reduction due to job loss or other factors happens much more frequently after a divorce settlement than it used to in the past. For people who make or receive child support or alimony payments, the issue of reducing the payments has therefore become a very important one.
This article will discuss the process for child support ...
California Death-Spiral Lawsuit Against Health Insurer Blue Shield
2012-10-10
California Death-Spiral Lawsuit Against Health Insurer Blue Shield
The phrase "death spiral" has sobering implications in any context. In the health-insurance world, it refers to the events set off when an insurer closes an existing insurance policy to new enrollees, then raises rates on those remaining in the policy to a largely unaffordable level. Those remaining insureds are usually forced to jump to new, more expensive policies with lower coverage levels, or to become uninsured.
California Death-Spiral Prohibition
In 1993, reportedly in reaction to ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Oldest modern shark mega-predator swam off Australia during the age of dinosaurs
Scientists unveil mechanism behind greener ammonia production
Sharper, straighter, stiffer, stronger: Male green hermit hummingbirds have bills evolved for fighting
Nationwide awards honor local students and school leaders championing heart, brain health
Epigenetic changes regulate gene expression, but what regulates epigenetics?
Nasal drops fight brain tumors noninvasively
Okayama University of Science Ranked in the “THE World University Rankings 2026” for the Second Consecutive Year
New study looks at (rainforest) tea leaves to predict fate of tropical forests
When trade routes shift, so do clouds: Florida State University researchers uncover ripple effects of new global shipping regulations
Kennesaw State assistant professor receives grant to improve shelf life of peptide- and protein-based drugs
Current heart attack screening tools are not optimal and fail to identify half the people who are at risk
LJI scientists discover how T cells transform to defend our organs
Brain circuit controlling compulsive behavior mapped
Atoms passing through walls: Quantum tunneling of hydrogen within palladium crystal
Observing quantum footballs blown up by laser kicks
Immune cells ‘caught in the act’ could spur earlier detection and prevention of Type 1 Diabetes
New membrane sets record for separating hydrogen from CO2
Recharging the powerhouse of the cell
University of Minnesota research finds reducing inflammation may protect against early AMD-like vision loss
A mulching film that protects plants without pesticides or plastics
New study highlights key findings on lung cancer surveillance rates
Uniform reference system for lightweight construction methods
Improve diet and increase physical activity at the same time to limit weight gain, study suggests
A surprising insight may put a charge into faster muscle injury repair
Scientists uncover how COVID-19 variants outsmart the immune system
Some children’s tantrums can be seen in the brain, new study finds
Development of 1-Wh-class stacked lithium-air cells
UVA, military researchers seek better ways to identify, treat blast-related brain injuries
AMS Science Preview: Railways and cyclones; pinned clouds; weather warnings in wartime
Scientists identify a molecular switch to a painful side effect of chemotherapy
[Press-News.org] Texas Man Faces Capital Murder Charge 32 Years After CrimeRecently, a 53-year-old Texas man was arrested on a capital murder charge, which dates back to the 1980 death of a 73-year-old woman. DNA evidence connected the defendant to the crime.