Considering Relatives When Assessing the Evidential Strength of Mixed DNA Profiles

• NCJ Number: 249329
• Journal: Forensic Science International - Genetics Volume: 13 Dated: November 2014 Pages: 259-263
• Author(s): Duncan Taylor; Jo-Anne Bright; John Buckleton
• Date Published: November 2014
• Length: 5 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2011-DN-BX-K541
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
• Publication Format: Article; Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article reports on a demonstration of how consideration of relatedness to the person of interest can be incorporated into a LR calculation and how the same calculation can be used for familial searches of complex mixtures.

Abstract

Sophisticated methods of DNA profile interpretation have enabled scientists to calculate weights for genotype sets proposed to explain some observed data. Using standard formulae these weights can be incorporated into an LR calculation that considers two competing propositions. The current project provides a general formula that can be used in semi or fully automated methods of calculation and demonstrates their use by working through an example. (Publisher abstract modified)