Quote of The Day

[T]o a pretty good approximation, is that law enforcement is soon going be able to identify the perp in all cases where DNA evidence is available. Decades of unsolved rapes, assaults, and murders will be cleared up – in as little as a couple of years, if we make a serious effort.

Exceptions? DNA from your evil twin, and DNA from truly obscure groups with no representatives in the US. People will write murder mysteries featuring Andaman Islanders -they’ll have to.

We will not find that all or most prominent people have a criminal past (I think) – but quite a few will, undoubtedly including people you would never have guessed. It will even include people that I never suspected. Successful guys that rarely think about that perfectly understandable mistake that happened ever so many years ago will suddenly find themselves wearing orange jumpsuits.

- G. Cochran at West Hunter (June 12, 2021) (emphasis in the original).

There are definitely cases where the presence of DNA at a crime scene does not imply guilt. But it certainly makes a huge difference in narrowing down possibilities and causing a suspect to be considered seriously.