Search for Obligatory Paternal Alleles in a DNA Database to Find an Alleged Rapist in a Fatherless Paternity Case

• NCJ Number: 241246
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 57 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2012 Pages: 1098-1101
• Author(s): Mark Barash, M.S.; Ayeleth Reshef, M.Sc.; Lev Voskoboinik, M.Sc.; Ashira Zamir, M.Sc.; Uzi Motro, Ph.D.; Ron Gafny, Ph.D.
• Date Published: July 2012
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article investigates the searching of a DNA database for obligatory alleles in a fatherless paternity case.

Abstract

A sexual assault case resulted in a pregnancy, which was subsequently aborted. The alleged father of the fetus was unknown. Maternal and fetal types were obtained using the 11-locus AmpFlSTR SGM Plus kit. The national DNA database was searched for the paternal obligatory alleles and detected two suspects who could not be excluded as father of the male fetus. Additional typing using the AmpFlSTR Minifiler kit, containing three additional autosomal loci, was not sufficient to exclude either suspect. Subsequent typing using the PowerPlex 16, containing four additional loci, and Y-Filer kits resulted in excluding one suspect. Searching a database for paternal obligatory alleles can be fruitful, but is fraught with possible false positive results so that finding a match must be taken as only preliminary evidence. Abstract published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons.