DNA Archives

Missouri Death Row Inmate Seeks New Trial in Light of Groundbreaking DNA Evidence as Execution Looms

Jefferson City, Mo. — As the clock ticks down towards his scheduled execution, Leonard Taylor, a 58-year-old inmate on Missouri’s death row, is making a desperate plea to prove his innocence, leveraging newly surfaced DNA evidence. Taylor’s legal team has intensified calls for a stay of execution, arguing that this new evidence could exonerate him for the 2004 murders of his girlfriend and her three children. In 2004, Angela Rowe and her children were tragically …

California Serial Killer Confesses to 1986 Teen Murder After DNA Evidence Surfaces

Sacramento, Calif. — In a startling revelation, a man currently on death row for multiple murders has confessed to the 1986 killing of a California teenager, officials said Tuesday. The cold case, which has puzzled investigators for decades, was recently solved when new DNA technology linked the inmate to the gruesome murder. Ramsay McCullough, 57, who has been on death row since 2005 for separate offenses, admitted to the killing of 18-year-old Natalie Jacobs after …

DNA Breakthrough Identifies Suspect in 1991 Dana Ireland Murder on Hawaii Island

HONOLULU — In a significant breakthrough using DNA technology, the 1991 Christmas Eve murder of Dana Ireland, which haunted Hawaii for over three decades, has been linked to a man from Hawaii Island who recently took his own life. This conclusion hopes to bring closure to a case that has seen wrongful convictions and years of mystery. The identity of the suspect, originally from Hawaiian Paradise Park and aged 57 at his death, remains undisclosed …

Decades-Old Cold Case Solved: DNA Evidence Secures Conviction in 1979 D.C. Murder and Rape

Washington, D.C. — A local man has been found guilty of first-degree murder and rape in a crime that puzzled investigators for over four decades. In 1979, Vickie Lynn Belk, a 28-year-old mother and office worker from Suitland, was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered. Her lifeless body was eventually discovered in a remote part of Charles County, igniting a mystery that lingered until recent advancements in forensic science provided the necessary break in the case. …

Supreme Court Halts Execution of Texas Man Seeking DNA Testing to Prove Innocence

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court intervened on Tuesday to halt the scheduled execution of a Texas inmate, Ruben Gutierrez, who has long maintained his innocence in a 1998 murder case and has been seeking DNA testing to support his claim. The high court’s decision came shortly before Gutierrez was due to be executed, marking a critical moment in a legal battle that has spanned over two decades. Gutierrez, now 45, was sentenced to death for …

Decades-Old Mystery Solved: DNA Analysis Leads to Arrest in Cold Case Murder, Shocking Close Family Friend

CHEVY CHASE, Md. — For over two decades, Lauren Preer lived with unresolved grief and persistent questions after her mother was brutally murdered in her home. Despite the passage of time, her quest for answers remained undeterred. Lauren spent many years grappling with the memory of her mother, Leslie J. Preer, who was found deceased under violent circumstances at the age of 50. The mysterious circumstances surrounding her mother’s death became a focal point in …

DNA Evidence Leads to Arrest of Alleged Killer in Murder of Mother of 5 on Maryland Hiking Trail

Bel Air, Maryland – After months of relentless investigation, authorities have apprehended the suspect believed to be responsible for the tragic murder of Rachel Morin while she was hiking along a Maryland trail last summer. Thanks to DNA evidence and tracking efforts, local police and the FBI were able to locate and arrest Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in connection with the 2023 killing. Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five, was found lifeless on …

DNA Evidence Links Deceased U.S. Sex Offender to Cold Cases in Canada: 4 Victims Identified

Calgary, Alberta, Canada – Police in Canada have made a significant breakthrough in a cold case investigation involving the killings of two women and two teens almost 50 years ago. Through the use of DNA evidence, authorities have connected a deceased convicted U.S. sex offender to the murders and are now exploring the possibility of his involvement in other unsolved homicides or sexual assaults in western Canada. Eva Dvorak, Patricia “Patsy” McQueen, Melissa Rehorek, and …

Decades-Long Mystery Solved: DNA Evidence Leads to Closure for Family of California Murder Victim

Ventura, California – After 33 years, a family has found closure for their loved one, Danielle Clause, who was tragically found dead in the city. The victim, 42 years old at the time, was discovered near downtown Ventura with multiple blunt force injuries. She was last seen on July 15, 1991, talking to a male in a white pickup truck with pinstripes. The case had gone cold for over 25 years, until officer Tyler Buck …

Founders of Crime-Fighting Nonprofit Solve Decades-Old Cold Case Through DNA Technology & Philanthropy

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – A nonprofit organization called Project Justice has been working on solving cold cases in Las Vegas by raising funds for a private investigative DNA lab called Othram. This organization has made significant progress in solving crimes using DNA and forensic genealogy, such as the 1989 unsolved murder of 14-year-old Stephanie Isaacson. The brainchild behind Project Justice, Justin Woo, discovered Othram in Houston, Texas in 2020, while they were doing community work …