Individualization of Physiological Fluid Stains and Postcoital Vaginal Swabs Using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms

• NCJ Number: 138858
• Author(s): S J Odelberg
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 172 pages
• Grant Number(s): 86-IJ-CX-0018
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ); US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Publication Format: Dissertation/Thesis
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated the feasibility of using minisatellite DNA probes 15.1.11.4 and 6.3 in a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis for the purpose of individualizing blood and semen stains and postcoital vaginal swabs.

Abstract

Analysis of stains indicated that ample high molecular weight DNA could usually be obtained from 200 ml blood stains and 50 ml semen stains aged up to at least 5 1/2 months if stored at low humidity; high humidity, however, was detrimental to a successful RFLP analysis. Postcoital analysis indicated that most specimens collected within 8 hours of sexual intercourse yielded RFLP patterns that matched those of the male sexual partner; however, those collected 16 or 24 hours after coitus did not yield interpretable RFLP patterns. An unusual paternity case in which the putative father was unavailable for testing was investigated to test the efficacy of using minisatellite DNA probes in cases that involve disputed parentage. The test produced a paternity index of 9,250 and a probability of paternity equal to 99.9892 percent based on the 99 percent upper bound of the mean band frequencies, and the best estimates of these frequencies yielded a paternity index and probability of paternity equal to 6.45 x 10 to the fifth power and 99.99984 percent, respectively. 15 tables and 144 references