Judge orders new DNA testing, appoints genetics expert to resolve Myatt estate heirship

Dixon County Chancery Judge David D. Wolfe on Tuesday ordered additional, denser DNA testing and authorized a genetics expert to analyze results to resolve whether Catherine Jean Myatt Rundle is a biological heir of the late Richard Omar Myatt and therefore entitled to share in his estate.

The issue came after test results from DDC Diagnostic Center showed a combined relatedness index of 0.1012 and reported an 8.5% probability of an avuncular (aunt/uncle-to-niece/nephew) relationship and a 91.5% probability of no relationship. Dr. Jennifer Elizabeth Belo, director of the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, testified the company's report and website place an 8.5% value below the lab's threshold for supporting relatedness and called the result effectively exclusionary for the avuncular relationship under that lab's own guidance.

Why it matters: The heirship determination affects distribution of the decedent's estate; counsel estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake. Parties had already submitted standard avuncular testing to DDC and disputed whether the existing samples and the lab's calculations provide a conclusive answer. The judge concluded further, denser genomic testing was necessary to produce a high-confidence determination.

Most of the hearing focused on the technical limits of the 29-locus panel used by DDC. Dr. Belo testified that the 8.5% probability means "there's a very low likelihood that the amount of sharing that is observed is due to relatedness" and that with modern dense genotyping'testing hundreds of thousands to millions of markers'"we would be able to preclude any you know, decide with 100% likelihood whether or not this truly is an avuncular relationship" within days-to-a-week after genotyping. She estimated a dense array run can cost roughly $85'$86 per sample and have a turnaround measured in days to a week.

Attorney Marcus Knowles, who represents Catherine Rundle, argued earlier DNA results failed to "provide sufficient evidence to support or refute" the tested relationship; counsel for other parties pressed that DDC's report already leans heavily toward exclusion. The court heard competing requests: one side asked the judge to declare Rundle an heir on the evidence currently in the record; the other sought permission to pursue additional testing and to put the matter on a short schedule.

The judge sided with the parties seeking more precise analysis. He directed counsel to try to locate any original samples DDC still holds; if the archived samples are not available, the court authorized obtaining fresh samples and having dense-array genotyping performed. The judge told counsel to identify a laboratory and to submit an agreed order; he also authorized Dr. Belo to receive the dense genetic data and to prepare a written report for the court and the parties. The court signaled it wanted the testing process started promptly and asked the parties to confer on logistics and a proposed schedule.

What's next: The court asked counsel to draft an order implementing the retesting and analysis plan; if existing samples can be used, the process will proceed faster, the judge said. Dr. Belo will file a report after receiving the dense genotype files. The case will return to the chancery docket after the court receives Dr. Belo's analysis.