DNA-matching to solve crimes an imperfect science DNA-matching may work to catch killers on TV crime shows like CSI but in reality, it’s an imperfect science we shouldn’t have blind faith in, says Andrew Rule.
Crime by Andrew Rule
Premium Content
Subscriber only Catching crooks and killers became a lot easier when DNA-matching hit the courts. It was the greatest investigation breakthrough since law enforcement took up fingerprinting in the 1890s. It took about a decade before fingerprint evidence was used to decide a criminal trial but after that it rapidly became an investigation tool routinely used by police worldwide. Fingerprint techniques have, of course, been refined ever since.