Forensic lab Othram briefs committee on genomic testing to identify victims and suspects in cold cases

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 storage are governed by the submitting agency's instructions and that Othram generally returns physical evidence after a case is solved. "We try to close out an investigation after it is solved. So we'll return the physical evidence and transfer the materials back to the agency," he said.

Local need and scale: Mittelman estimated, based on public data, "a couple thousand unsolved homicides in the last 50 years in your state" and suggested roughly 75% of those might be addressable with DNA testing; he noted his numbers were speculative and urged verification with law-enforcement records. Brendan Belair, Othram's lead government-relations staffer, told the committee the Kansas Bureau of Investigation had identified more than 200 cold cases it believes could benefit from this technology; Belair also cited 25 unidentified human remains listed for Kansas in the federal NamUs database and said there are at least 200 sexual-assault cases with DNA that may be suitable for follow-up testing.

How the lab says it works: Mittelman contrasted Othram's SNP sequencing with CODIS's STR profiles, noting CODIS uses roughly 20 loci while SNP testing can yield far more data. He described use cases that include identifying victims whose remains are unrecognizable and real-time assistance for active investigations. He cited a 1989 Kansas homicide (Krista Martin) as an example where his firm's methods helped identify a suspect decades after the crime.

Privacy, procedure and oversight: Committee members asked how long Othram retains data and whether the company shares results with other agencies. Mittelman said retention is decided by the submitting agency and that Othram requires written agency instruction to transfer or retain materials; the company will not disclose involvement in an investigation without law-enforcement confirmation. "It just requires a written request from the agency," he said on returning materials. He also described an online portal used to control who at an agency has access to case data and leads.

Committee reaction and next steps: Representative Resmond asked how long DNA information is kept; Mittelman said agencies can request return or continued retention and that Othram is not in the business of holding evidence indefinitely. The committee did not vote on procurement or funding in the briefing; KBI representatives and Othram suggested a multi-agency review to determine demand and potential use in Kansas.

Ending: Othram offered to provide validations, access to public research and case trackers; the company emphasized that its services and validations are available publicly and that it can assist states with both direct casework and technology transfer for in-house capabilities.