Authorities in Texas are reviewing thousands of cases using a possibly flawed way of determining the odds that a defendant left DNA at a crime scene.
The ongoing review of cases focuses on samples that include DNA from more than one person. Forensics experts and prosecutors are examining cases where a witness testified about the odds of someone being at a crime scene based on the probable appearance of their DNA.
The Houston Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1PJu8WQ ) that new guidelines generally lead to more conservative estimates.
In one Galveston homicide case, DNA analysis originally suggested there was 1 in 290 million chance that a different person of the same ethnic background had touched the suspected murder weapon. A later analysis found the probability to be 1 in 38.
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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com
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