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Forensic lab Othram briefs committee on genomic testing to identify victims and suspects in cold cases
Summary
Othram presented forensic-grade genome sequencing to the Kansas Legislative Budget Committee, explaining how SNP-based testing can work with degraded DNA and help solve cold homicides, sexual assaults and unidentified remains; agency representatives and KBI staff estimated hundreds of Kansas cases could benefit.
Othram, a private forensic genetics company, told the Kansas Legislative Budget Committee it can use newer SNP-based genome sequencing to generate investigative leads from degraded DNA and help identify both victims and suspects in cold cases.
David Mittelman, Othram's CEO, told the committee the firm performs "forensic-grade genome sequencing" at an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory and works only for government and criminal-justice clients. "We only work for government and the criminal justice community," he said, adding that the technology collects hundreds of thousands to millions of data points and can produce investigative leads even when a contributor is not in CODIS. The company described cases where long-range genetic genealogy and dense SNP data helped identify a suspect or return names to unidentified remains.
Retention and interagency access: Mittelman said evidence retention and data…
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