tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post4047478714549635267..comments2024-01-31T03:00:37.150-05:00Comments on View-from-Wilmington: An analysis of the bra clasp DNAChris Halkideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14933976220776524122noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-47828258698846203082011-10-04T01:44:25.229-04:002011-10-04T01:44:25.229-04:00Amanda is now free. Your can read the full free t...Amanda is now free. Your can read the full free transcript of Amanda's closing remarks to the court, at <a href="http://www.voicegig.com/view-speech/1654/closing-remarks-to-the-court-amanda-knox/" title="Amanda Knox - closing remarks to the court" rel="nofollow">Voicegig</a>Voicegighttp://www.voicegig.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-27564438019113567112011-05-14T16:15:59.601-04:002011-05-14T16:15:59.601-04:00"Blog has been removed
Sorry, the blog at pe..."Blog has been removed<br /><br />Sorry, the blog at perugia-shock.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs."<br /><br />1 less blog on the internet it looks like...but it appears to be resurfacing.Randyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06793623287762008054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-185885163123448952011-04-17T22:52:19.559-04:002011-04-17T22:52:19.559-04:00Jim,
Obviously I agree. I would only add that th...Jim,<br /><br />Obviously I agree. I would only add that the lack of glove changing also makes me have less confidence in the mixed DNA evidence. How do we know that the DNA was not mixed on the gloves, going from one sample to another?Chris Halkideshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14933976220776524122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-88800452461300272262011-04-17T22:32:37.137-04:002011-04-17T22:32:37.137-04:00The Massei report states over and over again that ...The Massei report states over and over again that gloves were not changed and gives a labored argument that DNA contamination of the clasp was a virtual immposibility in any case. The presence of DNA from an unknown party nullifies Massei's arguments.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05098927568746006635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-38574262253919955742011-04-03T02:01:12.591-04:002011-04-03T02:01:12.591-04:00We all know the U.S. has its share of corrupt pros...We all know the U.S. has its share of corrupt prosecution teams.<br /><br />But here's another one:<br />http://www.slate.com/id/2290036/<br /><br />Prosecution hid exculpatory evidence, including a crucial blood sample. In addition, it essentially bribed the key informant.<br /><br />Sadly, we can no longer rely on the Supreme Court to serve justice. Regardless of how one feels about this particular decision, abundant evidence indicates OUR Supreme Court is now a political organ.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-68756509719661159162011-03-27T23:14:26.619-04:002011-03-27T23:14:26.619-04:00I read on Perugia Shock that they also took the kn...I read on Perugia Shock that they also took the knife apart already. If they had found something of Meredith on the knife- when they took the handle apart- I would have to question the innocence of AK & RS.<br /><br />It will be interesting to hear the results of the review now that the 2 main pieces of physical evidence against AK & RS are pretty much useless.Randyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06793623287762008054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-46563770920782201452011-03-25T04:29:57.870-04:002011-03-25T04:29:57.870-04:00That's a good point! How would she know whethe...That's a <i>good point!</i> How <b>would</b> she know whether the bra clasp had deteriorated? Is she moonlighting as a forensic tech? I suppose she must have her 'network' of informers, but it strikes me as odd she'd be so nonchalant about it, being as you'd think that was the best chance for the prosecution to find new DNA evidence.<br /><br />As for the peak threshold, if I recall correctly it was something absurdly low like 50 RFUs for the 'murder knife,' thus I suspect like breaching the 'too low' hard-deck it was a standard for that item only. Which of course does call into question her principles and consistency, but I would guess she would argue it was worth the exception as they <i>really needed something</i> on Amanda, being as the room was going all Rudy and they didn't know who or where he was.<br /><br />Well, maybe she wouldn't put it that way, being as it would call into question her objectivity and dedication to scientific principles, but I'm more than willing to put it that way <b> for her.</b> <br />:PKaosiumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03072817874327010156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-28051723879190313612011-03-24T22:05:54.993-04:002011-03-24T22:05:54.993-04:00Kaosium,
Does Comodi mean that she expected the c...Kaosium,<br /><br />Does Comodi mean that she expected the clasp to be rusty? She would know better than most of us. I cannot see why the controls would not be included, but then I cannot see why they would not release the electronic data files, either. Frank wrote a post that said that the controls had been done. However, suppose one analyzed them with the same peak threshold as was used for the knife. They might well show contamination at this low level, which would damage the prosecution’s case.Chris Halkideshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14933976220776524122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-47763685259218487562011-03-24T17:34:29.753-04:002011-03-24T17:34:29.753-04:00But Manuela Comodi, one of the prosecutors in the...But Manuela Comodi, one of the prosecutors in the trial, said: "There's nothing new and there are no surprises in this. They are the results we expected."<br /><br /> Frank confirms at Perugia Shock that this was not unexpected, which was news to me, I guess there's just no market for underestimating the incompetence of the forensic technicians in this case. I was under the assumption that at the very least they'd be able to do a retest on the bra clasp, and it never occurred to me that Amanda's DNA on the handle of the 'murder knife' might be in peril.<br /><br /> All things considered however, it seems like a positive development. My number one fear, like yours, was that they'd find Raffaele's DNA on the bra clasp and thus justify the initial results with a retest and overlook the collection discrepancies. As of now all they have left is that one test and all the rubbish that goes with it, including Doctor Tagliabracci's disputing of the results in the first place, which seems prescient now. I suppose he knows more about the oddities of ILE's forensic storage than we do.<br /><br /> I was unaware that Stefanoni might have done control testing yet failed to release those electropherograms to the defense. I wonder if it is the same reason she neglected to inform the defense of the negative TMB blood tests performed on the luminol hits? I cannot see a good reason this wouldn't have been included in her initial report. Can you think of one?Kaosiumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03072817874327010156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-8964088844898352352011-03-18T09:38:07.938-04:002011-03-18T09:38:07.938-04:00Kaosium,
Given the number of contributors to the ...Kaosium,<br /><br />Given the number of contributors to the DNA and the relatively small amount of DNA, I would not be surprised if experts disagreed about whether Raffaele’s complete profile were present. The YSTR analysis does indicated that Raffaele is a contributor. The other contributors are either female or contributed so little DNA that one cannot observe it.<br /><br />I think Dr. Tagliabracci is a more careful and thoughtful worker than Dr. Stefanoni is. However, I am not sure that he formulated the best argument for the defense to use, given the YSTR results. I think that the real issue is how his DNA and the DNA of unknown individuals came to be there. In 2008 Raffaele’s defense argued that his DNA should also be on the bra if he had been the one to remove it. At InjusticeInPerugia, Steve Moore argued that if the bra were cut off, there would be no need to unfasten the clasp, hence none of Raffaele’s DNA should be there.<br /><br />Ideally low template DNA should be tested multiple times. It should be tested in facilities that are specially designed this work, having, for example, UV lights to destroy unwanted DNA and being separate from the regular DNA testing facility. Retesting DNA that is in this range sometimes shows new peaks that did not appear during the first test, but sometimes peaks seen in the first run are not seen in the second. The alleles can “drop in” or “drop out” sometimes.<br /><br />I would like to see the original control electropherograms. Frank has reported that Dr. Stefanoni performed controls, but control electropherograms have never been given to the defense. This is even more important for the knife DNA profile. I hope that the new review does not come back and simply say, “It is Raffaele’s DNA on the clasp,” without examining the electronic data files of both evidence and controls, and leave it at that. They should ask themselves whether or not the clasp has been handled in a way that makes it valuable as a piece of evidence.Chris Halkideshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14933976220776524122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-53982928471164021582011-03-18T07:16:10.359-04:002011-03-18T07:16:10.359-04:00Thanks Chris. That was real sciencey of you. I s...Thanks Chris. That was real sciencey of you. I see this mixed DNA like a deck of cards where you can pretty much pick out whatever hand you want to play.Rosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8731849270338485723.post-19990488136218783672011-03-18T03:53:00.527-04:002011-03-18T03:53:00.527-04:00Thank you for that analysis!
I have fond memories...Thank you for that analysis!<br /><br />I have fond memories of taking college biology, almost none of which have much of anything to do with the textbook I was supposed to be studying, the poor squid I knifed open in lab, or the lectures I attended. I found the optimum study of biology is done away from such inhibiting venues with a cute little co-ed lab partner. :P<br /><br />I feel like I'm being punished for employing such nontraditional methods now though. As a result there's some things I'm unclear on. <br /><br />I recall whilst reading the Massei Report thinking Dr. Tagliabracci was more or less advancing the idea that Stefanoni kinda went fishing into that soup of alleles on the bra clasp and plucked out what she needed to compile a partial profile of Raffaele. As I recall Raffaele's appeal is contesting that the DNA didn't actually match Raffaele, suggesting to me they're maintaining said notion.<br /><br /> However from my reading of this piece I get the impression you don't think that a winning argument, and in fact at least a partial profile of Raffaele will be found with re-testing. Would that be a fair summation?<br /><br />If I understand this correctly, Y-STR testing would remove the masking effect of any female's DNA present, thus that would eliminate Meredith's DNA. That should also suggest whoever else contributed traces to that unlikely soiree on this tiny clasp was female as well?<br /><br />What does it mean that Raffaele's portion of the DNA mixture is in the LCN range, given that the independent experts might well impose standards different that those employed in the initial trial? You mention a re-test, and I'm sure insistent upon the release of the EDFs, are there any other protocols you expect to see observed if this testing procedure is to be different from the last?Kaosiumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03072817874327010156noreply@blogger.com