NCJ Number
174983
Date Published
1998
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This final report presents the achievements of a consortium of two Missouri crime laboratories under a grant from the NIJ Forensic DNA Laboratory Program, which has allowed them to improve and expand their respective DNA capabilities.
Abstract
The CODIS database has been a powerful investigative tool in Missouri, establishing leads between unsolved cases and convicted offenders, as well as developing associations between unsolved cases. The grant funds allocated for the implementation of the short tandem repeat (STR) technology have provided the two laboratories equipment and training to develop profiles from cases with minimal samples while maintaining compatibility with the FBI's CODIS program. Funds awarded the Missouri State Highway Patrol Lab were used to further expand the DNA testing capabilities of the laboratory predominantly in the areas of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the STR technology. The Patrol Lab has been preparing for the implementation of this new technology and awaiting the FBI's decision on the core loci. This report shows the amount of the grant allocated to various project components. The DNA grant for the St. Louis Police Department was revised to reflect facility modifications being performed by a subcontractor instead of inhouse work as planned. This report details construction activities and their costs and itemizes the equipment and supplies and their costs, as well as travel and training costs.