Interpreting <scp>DNA</scp> under fingernails given activity level propositions

We have generated a general lookup table of LRs that could be used in the general case of a person of interest (POI) accused of attacking a complainant and the evidence is DNA from fingernails of the complainant. We consider that social interaction may have occurred between the complainant and the POI or others, comments from the complainant about scratching the attacker (or not), and visible scratches on the POI (or not). The LRs are generally small, ranging from a few thousand to less than one. If POI and no other DNA (except the complainant (C)) are present with no opportunity for social interaction between C and POI, then the LR is assigned a value in the thousands. The evidence supports the H<sub>p</sub> proposition (LR between 3 and 10) more than the alternative if there has been socialization between C and POI, and as long as there is no unknown DNA observed. The presence of unknown DNA as well as POI DNA gives LRs from 500 to 700 in the absence of social contact between C and POI. The evidence is neutral if neither POI nor unknown DNA is present. DNA analysis of fingernails is exculpatory if the POI is excluded from the findings and unknown DNA is present. Considering whether the complainant claims to have scratched her attacker increases the discrimination power of the model by a small amount, increasing the support for H<sub>p</sub> when only POI DNA is present, or increasing the support for H<sub>a</sub> if only unknown DNA is present.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences
Published
2025-05-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.70090
Primary Topic
Genetically Modified Organisms Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Interpreting DNA under fingernails given activity level propositions

Duncan Taylor, James M. Curran, John Buckleton, Simone Gittelson et al.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
Genetically Modified Organisms Research
article

Interpreting DNA under fingernails given activity level propositions

Duncan Taylor, James M. Curran, John Buckleton, Simone Gittelson, Tim Kalafut
article en

Abstract

We have generated a general lookup table of LRs that could be used in the general case of a person of interest (POI) accused of attacking a complainant and the evidence is DNA from fingernails of the complainant. We consider that social interaction may have occurred between the complainant and the POI or others, comments from the complainant about scratching the attacker (or not), and visible scratches on the POI (or not). The LRs are generally small, ranging from a few thousand to less than one. If POI and no other DNA (except the complainant (C)) are present with no opportunity for social interaction between C and POI, then the LR is assigned a value in the thousands. The evidence supports the H<sub>p</sub> proposition (LR between 3 and 10) more than the alternative if there has been socialization between C and POI, and as long as there is no unknown DNA observed. The presence of unknown DNA as well as POI DNA gives LRs from 500 to 700 in the absence of social contact between C and POI. The evidence is neutral if neither POI nor unknown DNA is present. DNA analysis of fingernails is exculpatory if the POI is excluded from the findings and unknown DNA is present. Considering whether the complainant claims to have scratched her attacker increases the discrimination power of the model by a small amount, increasing the support for H<sub>p</sub> when only POI DNA is present, or increasing the support for H<sub>a</sub> if only unknown DNA is present.

Journal of Forensic SciencesVol. 70(5)
South Australia Pathology (AU), University of Auckland (NZ), Flinders University (AU), Sam Houston State University (US), George Washington University (US), District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences (US), New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science (NZ)
National Institute of Justice
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 92%
Genetically Modified Organisms Research
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.