Familial DNA searching- an emerging forensic investigative tool

Debus-Sherrill, Sara; Field, M.B.

doi:10.1016/j.scijus.2018.07.006

Cited by 24 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Familial searching is a term 1 generally refers to searches conducted in forensic DNA databases to identify criminal suspects using their genetic connection to biological relatives (Debus-Sherrill & Field, 2019;Granja & Machado, 2019;Haimes, 2006;Kim, Mammo, Siegel, & Katsanis, 2011;Suter, 2010). Therefore, familial searching usually refers to a process through which a DNA profile that does not match any other profile contained in a criminal DNA database is subjected to a new analysis, in order to determine whether there are close matches.…”

Section: Familial Searching In Forensic Dna Databasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One variation of such searches may occur when relatives of potential suspects are found among the DNA profiles collected by intelligence-led DNA massive screenings (Thomas, 2006). Another variant of familial searching might also occur when investigators find an inadvertent partial match while looking for a perfect correspondence between a certain DNA profile and the biological material found at a crime scene (Murphy, 2010, p. 9)-what Sara Debus-Sherrill and Michael Field call "partial matching" (Debus-Sherrill & Field, 2019). The term familial searching in this chapter aims to encapsulate all its variations.…”

Section: Familial Searching In Forensic Dna Databasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the lively debate that familial searching has been fomenting over the years, there are scarce empirical studies on this topic. One of them entails a National Survey of CODIS Laboratories in the US about policies and practices, as well as professionals' perceptions, as they relate to familial searching (Debus-Sherrill & Field, 2019). Results show that while perceptions over familial searching were generally positive, with most respondents (87%) believing that familial searching has potential to assist investigations, laboratories still shared a number of concerns related to familial searching.…”

Section: Familial Searching In Forensic Dna Databasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Emerging DNA Technologies and Stigmatization

Machado

Granja

2020

Forensic Genetics in the Governance of Crime

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Despite their consolidated role in providing evidence for criminal justice, DNA technologies have been subjected to continuous investment that has given rise to the emergence of new DNA technologies. This chapter will focus on such innovations, explaining how forensic genetics is increasingly expanding its role in the criminal justice system. Recent technologies such as familial searching and forensic DNA phenotyping might help to generate intelligence for criminal investigations. Familial searching is a technology that attempts to identify criminal suspects through their genetic connection with relatives. Forensic DNA phenotyping makes it possible to focus on a particular suspect group that shares genetic ancestry and/or externally visible characteristics. The chapter critically reviews the existing debate in the field of social sciences about emerging DNA technologies. The core argument is that the application of DNA phenotyping and familial searching in the governance of crime holds the potential to increase risks of stigmatization and reinforce the criminalization of certain populations who are more vulnerable to the actions of the criminal justice system.

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Section: Familial Searching In Forensic Dna Databasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Familial Searching In Forensic Dna Databasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Familial Searching In Forensic Dna Databasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Emerging DNA Technologies and Stigmatization

Machado

Granja

2020

Forensic Genetics in the Governance of Crime

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“…Even a profile generated using targeted forensic DNA analysis has the potential to match against, and thereby re-identify, other genetic data (Humbert, Huguenin, Hugonot, Ayday, & Hubaux, 2015;Kim, Edge, Algee-Hewitt, Li, & Rosenberg, 2018). Law enforcement and policy-makers will need to grapple with these issues now as these capabilities reach even limited operational use (Debus-Sherrill & Field, 2018;Smith, 2018).…”

Section: Just Add Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Policy and regulatory implications of the new frontier of forensic genomics: direct-to-consumer genetic data and genealogy records

Scudder

McNevin

Kelty

et al. 2019

Current Issues in Criminal Justice

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Law enforcement is moving from targeted forensic DNA analysis to more extensive use of genomics in support of criminal investigations and for related purposes, such as the identification of human remains. The field of forensic genomics is data-driven and will continue to evolve as new capabilities are developed and new datasets are made accessible. Intelligence capabilities using forensic genomics include the prediction of externally visible characteristics and biogeographical ancestry, and the relatively new field of forensic genetic genealogy. This technique expands these capabilities by accessing public genetic datasets to identify potential relatives of the donor of DNA relating to an investigation. This exploitation of public datasets poses a range of ethical, legal and privacy challenges. The extended reach of these techniques expands these issues to entire families, across multiple jurisdictions. These legal challenges increase as attention turns to much larger, but less accessible, genetic data held by direct-toconsumer genetic genealogy providers.

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“…Accurate understanding of the magnitude of false positive rates in familial search is important for discussions regarding appropriate application of the technique, which is used in various forms in a number of jurisdictions ( Debus-Sherrill and Field 2019 ; Katsanis 2020 ). To study properties of the false positive rate in familial identification, Rohlfs et al (2012) focused on the choice of allele frequencies used as part of familial-search likelihood calculations.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Human-Genetic Ancestry Inference and False Positives in Forensic Familial Searching

Fortier¹,

Kim²,

Rosenberg³

2020

G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics

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In forensic familial search methods, a query DNA profile is tested against a database to determine if the query profile represents a close relative of a database entrant. One challenge for familial search is that the calculations may require specification of allele frequencies for the unknown population from which the query profile has originated. Allele-frequency misspecification can substantially inflate false-positive rates compared to use of allele frequencies drawn from the same population as the query profile. Here, we use ancestry inference on the query profile to circumvent the high false-positive rates that result from highly misspecified allele frequencies. In particular, we perform ancestry inference on the query profile and make use of allele frequencies based on its inferred genetic ancestry. In a test for sibling matches on profiles that represent unrelated individuals, we demonstrate that false-positive rates for familial search with use of ancestry inference to specify the allele frequencies are similar to those seen when allele frequencies align with the population of origin of a profile. Because ancestry inference is possible to perform on query profiles, the extreme allele-frequency misspecifications that produce the highest false-positive rates can be avoided. We discuss the implications of the results in the context of concerns about the forensic use of familial searching.

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Familial DNA searching- an emerging forensic investigative tool

Cited by 24 publications

References 7 publications

Emerging DNA Technologies and Stigmatization

Emerging DNA Technologies and Stigmatization

Policy and regulatory implications of the new frontier of forensic genomics: direct-to-consumer genetic data and genealogy records

Human-Genetic Ancestry Inference and False Positives in Forensic Familial Searching

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