Jason Futch
reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, Suwannee Valley Unsolved, Inc. (SVU) and the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) put together a training session, hosting DNA Labs International (DLI) to provide information on new techniques being offered to help solve some of the areas most challenging cases. Dave Nutting and Greg Thomas, both experienced homicide investigators who retired from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, respectively, shared with investigators from various agencies key methods being used to solve cases nationwide. The free event was open to law enforcement agencies only. The discussions mainly centered around methods being used to recover DNA from porous and non-porous objects, bullet shell casings, and a technique known as M-VAC, which is used to recover DNA from difficult-to-access surfaces and is collected in a filter. The discussion also educated investigators on various grants available for funding through the state, national and private levels. Discussions also touched on forensic genetic genealogy, a forensic tool that has been utilized to solve some of America’s most challenging cold cases. One of the first cases solved by this method was the case of the Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo, in California. Since then, the technique has been used not only to solve cold cases but also to identify previously unidentified decedents. DLI currently offers this method. DLI is a private, third-party laboratory based in Deerfield Beach, Fla., and is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and meets requirements as set by the International Organization for Standardization and Federal Bureau of Investigation Quality Assurance Standards. The two-hour training was attended by the SCSO, which also provided the venue at the Emergency Operations Center, Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office, Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol. To learn more about DLI and its work, visit www.dnalabsinternational.com.