CSI: Animal
By Gina Spadafori
May 30, 2007
Sci-Tech Today has a story on the increasing use of DNA testing to solve crimes involving animals:
“Usually, people come to us because it’s a very emotional matter,” said Beth Wictum, acting director of [the Veterinary Genetics Lab at the University of California at Davis, which has the largest database of domesticated-animal DNA in the country]. “They’ve lost a pet, and for many people, pets are a member of the family and they want to get resolution.”
Wictum’s lab handles between 150 and 200 cases a year from all over the world. But scientists there don’t just deal with pet-on-pet attacks. They process evidence from cases involving animal attacks on humans, human attacks on animals, and even human crimes against each other in which an animal may yield important clues.
In one case, the lab used DNA testing to match dog excrement found on the bottom of a murder suspect’s shoe to excrement found near the crime scene — a key piece of evidence that helped secure the man’s conviction. In another case, a sexual assault victim couldn’t pick her attacker out of a lineup — but she remembered her dog had urinated on the man’s pickup truck. The dog’s DNA matched DNA traces found on the truck’s tire and the suspect pleaded guilty.
Very interesting piece, and I hope it helps to crack down on animal abuse. Here’s the rest.
“she remembered her dog had urinated on the man’s pickup truck. The dog’s DNA matched DNA traces found on the truck’s tire and the suspect pleaded guilty.”
Boy - I bet he was pissed!
(Sorry - just couldn’t resist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . )
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 30, 2007 @ 11:40 am
CSI NY — on right now — just dropped a dog off a balcony!! Someone held it over the railing & dropped it, from a second story apt., into someone’s arms below!! Now, how many “copy-cats” do you think there’ll be now.
p-a-t-h-e-t-i-c!
I know it’s “hollywood” & it didn’t REALLY happen, if fact you could tell it was fake…
It is the idea they would even put it into a script!!
Comment by Kat — May 30, 2007 @ 7:11 pm