Female DNA Found on Bomb in Boston Attack

[Fawke Em]

Investigators have found female DNA on at least one of the bombs used in the Boston Marathon attacks, though they haven't determined whose DNA it is or whether that means a woman helped the two suspects carry out the attacks, according to U.S. officials briefed on the probe.

The officials familiar with the case cautioned that there could be multiple explanations for why the DNA of someone other than the two bombing suspects—Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his younger brother, Dzhokhar—could have been found on remnants of the exploded devices. The genetic material could have come, for example, from a store clerk who handled materials used in the bombs or a stray hair that ended up in the bomb.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323798104578453190708251284.html?mod=djemalertNEWS

[tech3149]

1. forensic evidence is a wonderful tool but not absolute

It still takes good investigative skills and judgment to make a case on relevant evidence rather than chasing a bad interpretation of the evidence.

[Fawke Em]

2. True... but so does any investigation.

Just an interesting twist, I suppose.

[randome]

3. Yes but was it HUMAN female DNA? They seem to have omitted that important fact. I wonder why.

[Cali_Democrat]

6. I would assume that's what they mean. n/t

[Quantess]

10. Maybe it was a female 6-inch alien humanoid's DNA

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2313828/Is-really-human-DNA-tests-inch-skeleton-alien-looking-creature-sized-head-prove-actually-human-claim-scientists-new-documentary.html

[randome]

13. "Experts say..."-----------"...research by leading scientists..."

LOL!

[kestrel91316]

4. Tamerlan's wife??? Fascinating.

[Yo_Mama]

5. Wouldn't it likely be the daughter's?

The older brother was supposed to be taking care of his three year-old, and anyone who's ever done that would not be surprised that he would leave some of her DNA on him.

Now if they didn't find any male DNA, that would be interesting. But odds surely are that it's either the daughter's or the wife's, and in either case, it would prove nothing. You would expect that everyone leaving together, using the same car, etc, would leave some fragments of their DNA around and that it could easily end up on another family member.

[FarCenter]

7. It somewhat depends on what contained the DNA and where it was found

A bit of blood or skin on shrapnel or circuit board would be different from a random hair or a smear of kid snot on the pressure cooker.

[Yo_Mama]

8. I guess I just assumed it was from a hair

You couldn't use the shrapnel - it would have to be from the "unexpelled" contents.

[FarCenter]

9. Not sure there would be unexpelled contents, since the lid was retrieved from the roof of a building

[Yo_Mama]

11. There was one unexploded bomb at the scene of the shootout.

I believe they detonated it, but they may have done so in a way which preserves more of the contents.

If it's from one of the original bombs, I know I saw a picture of probably the bottom of pressure cooker in partial remnants of the knapsack. To be useful as evidence, any DNA would have to be found localized in the original wrappings, container, etc. Otherwise there is very little value, because there's not a close enough tie. If you found a strange bit of DNA from a hunk of bomb that's been flying through the crowd, you'd have a hard time even getting a court order for DNA testing on the wife and daughter. Too remote.

I can't believe we're having a conversation on DU about recovering DNA evidence from a bomb, but hey, that's just part of the surreality of it all. Who bombs a FOOT RACE anyway? I'm sure I'm not the only one having these moments.

[pnwmom]

14. Not really. Tamarlan could have DNA from his wife/daughter's shedded skin cells,

which he could have passed on to a circuit board as easily as to a pressure cooker.

[MineralMan]

12. Could belong to a victim.

[pnwmom]

15. Yes. n/t

[egduj]

16. I'm not understanding the significance of this.

Since many of the victims were female, why would there NOT be female DNA on the bomb debris?