Highlights – Page 2 – Forensics TTA

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Denver7

Man sentenced to life in prison in 1996 Denver murder of Terri Turachak

Nearly 30 years after Terri Turachak was murdered in her Denver apartment, her killer has been brought to justice. Turachak, 35, was killed on October 5, 1996, and the case remained unsolved for years until DNA testing helped identify Ricky Dawson as a suspect. Dawson was charged in 2023, convicted in March 2026, and sentenced on April 29, 2026, to life in prison without parole. The sentencing marked the culmination of decades of investigative work and provided answers for Turachak’s family after nearly three decades without resolution. As part of BJA’s Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA (COLD) Program, this work reflects the continued value of forensic DNA in helping agencies revisit and resolve long-standing cases. The case also highlights the persistence of the Denver Police Department, Denver Crime Laboratory, and Denver District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit in pursuing justice.

April 2026

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Highlights

Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory Division leverages CEBR funding to strengthen forensic biology/DNA capacity, reduce backlog, and expand laboratory services

With support from grant funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program, the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory Division (WSPCLD) achieved transformative improvements in efficiency, capacity, and service delivery resulting in a 91% reduction in their DNA backlog while simultaneously expanding access to forensic DNA testing statewide.

April 2026

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Highlights

Cold Case Homicide Victim From 1980 Identified; Investigators Seek Public’s Help

On February 18, 1980, motorists discovered the body of an unidentified female in a ravine off Highway 74, south of Cahuilla, in an unincorporated area near Palm Desert. Despite extensive efforts, including fingerprint and dental record comparisons, investigators were unable to identify the victim. A photograph taken during the autopsy was released to the public in hopes of generating leads, but no viable information was received, and the case eventually went cold. The case was reviewed again in 2008 and 2009, but no new leads were developed.

April 2026

Highlights

Familial DNA technology leads to conviction in 1999 Bronx child murder

More than two decades after a 13‑year‑old girl disappeared while walking home from school in the Bronx, the case has been resolved. On February 24, 1999, Minerliz Soriano was last seen alive in the Pelham Parkway neighborhood. Four days later, her body was discovered in a dumpster in Co‑op City; she had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Despite extensive investigative efforts at the time, the case went cold. In 2019, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Police Department reopened the investigation using familial DNA analysis. Biological evidence preserved from the original investigation was submitted for advanced testing, which generated a familial match and an investigative lead. Follow‑up investigation and direct DNA comparison confirmed that the genetic profile belonged to Joseph Martinez, also known as “Jupiter Joe.” Martinez was arrested in November 2021 and, following a jury trial, was convicted in November 2025 of two counts of second‑degree murder. On March 26, 2026, he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. This prosecution marked the first case in New York City to be solved using familial DNA, demonstrating the power of advanced forensic technologies and long‑term investigative persistence to deliver justice for victims and their families decades after a crime occurs. This case was supported through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA (COLD) Program, which provides resources to help prosecutors apply modern forensic tools and investigative strategies to unresolved violent crimes.

April 2026

Forensic

‘Stranger’ Targeted in 1985 Fatal Stabbing Now Identified

On October 12, 1985, an unidentified man was attacked outside of a liquor store in Fort Worth, Texas. Two individuals approached him, stole his wallet, and stabbed him in the chest. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died during surgery. At the time, the victim had no identification, and his identity could not be determined. Investigators documented the victim’s physical characteristics, clothing, and other identifying details and shared postmortem photographs with the public. Two suspects were subsequently arrested following a Crime Stoppers tip and later stated they had targeted the victim because he was unfamiliar in the neighborhood, luring him to the location before the attack. Despite these investigative efforts, the victim remained unidentified and was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as an unidentified person case. In 2024, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted evidence from the case for advanced DNA testing which yielded the development of a DNA profile suitable for Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG). Investigative leads to potential genetic relatives were generated, enabling the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office to begin outreach. Investigators reached a potential close relative who immediately recognized the case as that of her missing uncle, Barry Thompson, who had disappeared in 1985. A reference DNA sample was collected from the potential close relative, and the comparison confirmed the victim’s identity as Barry Thompson. This case resolution was supported by a cold case review initiative funded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program.

March 2026

Castanet

Remains found in Florida identified as woman last seen in Saskatchewan

In January 1985, skeletal remains of an unidentified woman were found in a densely wooded area in Malabar, Florida. Despite extensive early investigative efforts, investigators were unable to identify her, and she became known as “Malabar Jane Doe”. In 2024, leveraging Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program funding, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), working with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the District 18 Medical Examiner, outsourced forensic evidence to a vendor laboratory for advanced DNA testing. These testing efforts enabled FDLE’s Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) team to conduct a genealogical search, generating new investigative leads into the woman’s possible identity. This investigation ultimately identified the remains as Jeanette Marcotte, a woman originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, who was last seen in Saskatchewan in 1981 or 1982.

January 2026

Get the Coast

Skeletal remains found in Miramar Beach identified as Niceville 19-year-old missing since 2015

Skeletal remains discovered in Miramar Beach, Florida in October 2022 have been positively identified as Jacob Lyon, a 19-year-old from Niceville, Florida who went missing in late 2015. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Niceville Police Department announced the identification after DNA analysis performed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) matched the remains to family reference samples obtained from Lyon’s family nearly a decade earlier. Lyon was last seen in late 2015 and officially reported missing by his mother on February 1, 2016, the same day he was entered into state and national missing person databases. DNA confirmation from FDLE came on January 21, 2026, bringing long-awaited news to the family. Investigators emphasized that while the identification provides partial closure, the case is now an active death investigation. Evidence found near the remains will undergo further analysis as part of continued investigative efforts.

January 2026

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DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office, GA

DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office uses ME/C funding to achieve Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accreditation in 6 months

The DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office used grant funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Strengthening Medical Examiner/Coroner (ME/C) System Program to prepare and apply for accreditation through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). These funds enabled the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office to prepare the necessary physical space for a fellow, acquire a multiheaded microscope, cover ACGME accreditation fees, develop a robust educational lecture series for incoming fellows, and support other requirements for ACGME accreditation. The DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office attained ACGME accreditation just 6 short months after being awarded their ME/C Program funds!

January 2026

Highlights

DNA leads to suspect in 1998 rape and killing of nurse at Maryland hospital

Nearly three decades after the 1998 rape and murder of 50-year-old nurse, Sherry Crandell, the Prince George’s County Police Department announced the case has been solved. Crandell was found tied up, raped, and strangled in her office at the former Prince George’s County Medical Center in Cheverly, Maryland. Despite an extensive investigation, no arrests were made at the time. In December 2021, investigators revisited preserved DNA evidence and obtained a warrant to analyze it using Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG). With assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Baltimore Investigative Genetic Genealogy Team, police identified Edward Watts, also known as Baari Shabazz, as the suspect in late 2025. Watts died in 2019, so no charges can be filed. The investigation was supported by Bureau of Justice Assistance Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA (COLD) Program grants awarded to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Prince George’s County Police Department to expand FGG testing in cold cases.

November 2025

Highlights

Advanced forensic analysis brings long-awaited answers in 2007 Rhode Island homicide

Eighteen years after Cynthia McKenna was found murdered in her North Providence apartment, Rhode Island authorities delivered definitive answers in a case that had long haunted her family. On February 21, 2007, McKenna was discovered unresponsive in her bed, and the state medical examiner later determined she died from asphyxiation caused by blocked airways. Despite early investigative efforts and the emergence of a prime suspect, the case stalled due to limited forensic capabilities. In 2024, using funding from BJA’s Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA (COLD) Program, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation, applying modern forensic tools and a comprehensive re‑examination of evidence. Investigators re-evaluated confession letters written shortly after the murder and employed advanced DNA analysis, including Y‑STR testing, on biological material recovered from an envelope. The testing linked the DNA to a direct male relative of the suspect, helping to confirm authorship of the letters and corroborating witness statements and investigative findings. Based on the totality of the evidence—including forensic analysis, confirmed confessions, witness testimony, and gaps in the suspect’s alibi—the Cold Case Unit concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that Robert J. Corry, Jr. murdered Cynthia McKenna. Although Corry died in 2014 and criminal charges could not be filed, the findings brought long‑overdue clarity and resolution to McKenna’s family and formally closed the case. By combining advanced DNA technology with meticulous investigative review, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit demonstrated that even long‑dormant cases can reach meaningful resolution—affirming that the pursuit of justice does not end with time, and that answers remain possible years after a crime occurs.

October 2025

Category: Highlights