Dna Tests Offer Clues To Suspect’s Race

Over the past dozen years, U.S. police have used DNA profiles to identify thousands of suspects. These profiles are created by comparing DNA from crime scene evidence such as blood, semen, skin tissue, and sweat against the profiles of known offenders in government databases.

But advances in DNA testing are allowing investigators to determine the ancestry and heritage of suspects who are not in these databases, giving authorities an idea of what the suspect may look like, including their race. This so-called “ancestry testing” has been used to help authorities develop leads in more than 80 cases since 2003.

Companies and government researchers are developing DNA methods to determine a suspect’s eye or hair color.

Law enforcement investigators say that ancestry testing is revolutionizing crime-fighting, but the method also has its share of critics, including defense lawyers and some police officials, who fear that the method could lead to racial profiling.

The lab director of one company involved in ancestry testing defends the process, saying that the identification of a suspect’s race gives police an idea of which suspects to question in a crime.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from USA Today (08/17/05) P. 1A; Willing, Richard .