Stealing DNA (fwd)

[Eugene Leitl]

-- Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://www.lrz.de/~ui22204/">leitl</a>
______________________________________________________________
ICBMTO  : N48 10'07'' E011 33'53'' http://www.lrz.de/~ui22204
57F9CFD3: ED90 0433 EB74 E4A9 537F CFF5 86E7 629B 57F9 CFD3

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 10:37:10 -0700
From: Olga Bourlin <fauxever at sprynet.com>
Reply-To: extropians at extropy.org
To: extropians at extropy.com
Subject: Stealing DNA


In your opinion, is this stealing DNA? (my apologies if this case has
already been posted - I accidentally deleted a few emails about the
"stealing DNA" discussion):

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis/web/vortex/display?slug=dna15&date=20010815&query=hanna

Nation & World : Wednesday, August 15, 2001

Rapist snared with a sleight of straw - and his DNA

By Christine Hanley
Los Angeles Times

SANTA ANA, Calif. - A suspect who was tricked by a police detective into
leaving his saliva on a straw at a Taco Bell pleaded guilty to two rape
charges Monday in a case that even his lawyer said represented a
legitimate yet unusual use of DNA evidence.

Brea, Calif., police Detective Susan Hanna had been working on the case
for months and thought Robert William Bradford Jr. was the culprit when
she invited him to a Taco Bell, saying she wanted to pick his brain about
the case.

After Bradford finished his soda, Hanna got him a refill, replacing his
straw and, on her way out, handing the old straw to a detective disguised
as an employee.

The straw was sent to a crime lab for DNA testing, which connected
Bradford to the rapes.

"It was a shot in the dark," Hanna said. "It paid off."

And despite the detective's ploy, Bradford's attorney said Monday he
thinks the evidence was gathered legally.

Police "did not unreasonably seize or delay Mr. Bradford. He voluntarily
had the soda with the cops. They were tricky. But they weren't illegal,"
Donald Barkemeyer said.

Bradford was sentenced Monday to two life terms in prison plus 52 years
for attacking a 24-year-old woman at her Brea home in 1998 and a
19-year-old woman at an apartment complex in 2000. In each case, he
slipped through an unlocked door at night.

Hanna said she linked the two rapes after the second victim said her
attacker reeked of smoke and also recalled how a chain-smoker who lived in
the same apartment complex frequently stared in the direction of her home.

After identifying Bradford as the suspect, Hanna discovered he used to
live in the neighborhood where the other attack took place. That woman
confirmed her attacker was a smoker.





Copyright © 2001 The Seattle Times Company