DNA Disposal
The Denver Post ran an impressive series last week by Susan Greene and Miles Moffeit that documents how crucial DNA evidence is routinely discarded by law enforcement officials around the country. Greene and Moffeit's "Trashing the Truth" describes how blood, hair, semen, spit and other bits of biological evidence left behind at crime scenes was lost or tossed away in 141 cases stretching from Denver to New Orleans to Michigan to Maine. As a result, they write, innocent people are likely languishing in prison while criminals walk free. In addition to powerful examples, Greene and Moffeit clearly explain how state laws governing the treatment of evidence have not kept up with advances in DNA science. The stories come with terrific photos and videos detailing the anguish caused by lost DNA and showing the sloppy conditions for storing evidence in some places. http://preview.denverpost.com/evidence/ci_6429277