Misleading DNA Evidence

Dr. Peter Gill joined the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in 1982. He began his research into DNA in 1985, collaborating with Sir Alec Jeffreys of Leicester University. In the same year they published the first demonstration of the forensic application of DNA profiling. In 1987, Dr. Gill was given an award under the civil service inventor’s scheme for discovery of the preferential sperm DNA extraction technique and the development of associated forensic tests. He was employed as Senior Principal Research Scientist at the Forensic Science Service (FSS). Currently, he hold concurrent positions at Oslo University Hospital and the University of Oslo where he is Professor of Forensic Genetics.RomanovsIn 1993-4, Dr. Gill was responsible for leading the team which confirmed the identity of the remains of the Romanov family, murdered in 1918, and also the subsequent investigation which disproved the claim of Anna Anderson to be the Duchess Anastasia (using tissue preserved in a paraffin wax block for several decades). This was an early example of an historical mystery that was solved by the analysis of very degraded and aged material, and was one of the first demonstrations of low-template DNA analysis.Low-template DNAIn relation to the above, Dr. Gill was responsible for developing a routine casework-based ‘super-sensitive’ method of DNA profiling that was capable of analysing DNA profiles from a handful of cells. This method was originally known as low-copy-number (LCN) DNA profiling. Now it is known as Low template DNA profiling. New statistical methods and thinking were also developed to facilitate the new methods. National DNA databaseDr. Gill was responsible for leading the team that developed the first multiplex DNA systems to be used in a National DNA database anywhere in the world, and for the design of interpretation methods that are in current use (c.1995).Court reporting: Dr. Gill has been involved with giving evidence in several high profile (controversial) cases – including the Doheny / Adams appeals, and the Omagh bombing trial in the UK.Membership of scientific societiesCurrently, Dr. Gill is a member of the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes and ex-chair of the ‘methods, analysis and interpretation sub-section’ He is chair of the International society for forensic genetics DNA commission on mixtures and has written a number of ISFG recommendations on low-template, mixture interpretation and evaluation of evidence that are highly cited. D. Gill is a member of the European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP). He has published more than 200 papers in the international scientific literature which have been cited more than 20,000 times – many of these are collaborative papers under the auspices of ISFG, EDNAP and ENFSI. He is the recipient of the 2013 Scientific Prize of the International Society for Forensic Genetics.Affiliations and ExpertiseForensic Genetics Research Group, Oslo University Hospital; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norwa

"...a book that should be read by all who work in DNA laboratories...there are 12 recommendations that make up preventative actions in the book’s corrective action plan...both interesting and of value to the reader." --Forensic Science Review, Misleading DNA Evidence"Professor Peter Gill’s book, Misleading DNA evidence: Reasons for Miscarriages of Justice has international significance and could not be more timely. In the United States and across the much of the globe, there is a lingering perception that the thousands of miscarriages of justice that reach the media are usually relics from a bygone era where the forensic tools were rudimentary. It is widely assumed that the new PCR-based DNA testing systems in use today dramatically reduce or eliminate the chances of wrongful convictions. Dr. Gill explodes this myth with keen, compelling and original insights. He focuses his analysis on deeply disturbing issues that he reveals at nexus between science and the criminal justice system. This book is a must read for prosecutors, defense attorneys, academics and anyone interested in ensuring that justice is done. Indeed, it will benefit anyone who is concerned that the aura of infallibility commonly associated with DNA and associated statistics can (and has) impaired criminal investigations and related proceedings. Dr. Gill correctly warns us that the DNA aura carries with it the potential to blind, distort or mislead the way fact finders perceive information. None of us should be indifferent to the risk of misleading the finders of fact, whose search for the truth is the cornerstone of justice." --Stephen Patrick Hogan, M.A. J.D."In reading Professor Peter Gill’s Misleading DNA Evidence, the importance of context in the analysis, interpretation, and presentation of DNA evidence is comprehensively illustrated. Professor Gill, through both his able and thorough instruction on the intricacies of DNA analyses and his use of real-world examples exposes the many ways that the use of DNA evidence can go tragically wrong. He skillfully exposes the host of biases and fallacies we too often fail to recognize. Professor Gill’s many insightful recommendations for how we can make better use of DNA evidence makes Misleading DNA Evidence an invaluable reference that, if followed, will help us avoid the miscarriages of justices it describes. Everyone involved in the criminal justice system — judges, attorneys, police, and scientists — should be mindful of the dangers that await us when we fail to recognize the importance of context when dealing with DNA evidence." --Stephen F. Swinton, Jr., M.A., J.D.Town Justice, Niskayuna, New York

• 1. Definitions: Contamination and Interpretation2. A Deep Analysis of the Basic Causes of Interpretation Errors3. A Framework to Interpret “Trace-DNA” Evidence Transfer4. National DNA Databases, Strength of Evidence and Error Rates5. Concluding Remarks: Illustrated by the Case of the Death of Merdith Kercher