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He was never there, but his DNA was: The history and debate surrounding forensic DNA profiling

He was never there, but his DNA was: The history and debate surrounding forensic DNA profiling

FromTiny Matters


He was never there, but his DNA was: The history and debate surrounding forensic DNA profiling

FromTiny Matters

ratings:
Length:
29 minutes
Released:
Dec 13, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

A warning to listeners — this episode contains sensitive material surrounding homicide and assault.On November 29th, 2012, a group of men broke into the Silicon Valley mansion of 66 year old investor Raveesh Kumra. The men attacked and tied up both Raveesh and his ex-wife who was living there, and then ransacked the home for cash and jewelry. By the time the paramedics arrived, Raveesh — who had also been gagged with tape — had died of suffocation.A few weeks later, the police arrested 26 year old Lukis Anderson. Anderson, whose DNA had been found on Raveesh's fingernails, was charged with murder. But the night of the homicide, Anderson had actually been at a hospital many miles away, being carefully monitored. So how did his DNA get on Raveesh’s fingernails?In this episode of Tiny Matters, Sam and Deboki unpack the history and evolution of DNA profiling and how new, more sensitive, technologies can be both incredible tools for picking up trace amounts of DNA to home in on suspects and a huge liability that can lead to wrong convictions. Links to the Tiny Show & Tell stories are here and here. Pick up a Tiny Matters mug here! All Tiny Matters transcripts are available here.
Released:
Dec 13, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (65)

Tiny Matters is a science podcast about the little things that make the big things in our world—both good and bad—possible. Every other Wednesday, join hosts Sam Jones and Deboki Chakravarti as they answer questions like, 'what is a memory?', 'is sugar actually addictive?' and 'what happened to Zika virus?'