Experts on Trial 

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Experts on Trial: 5. DNA Transfer

5. DNA Transfer

BBC Radio 4 - Experts on Trial, 5. DNA Transfer

The police find a stranger’s DNA on a victim’s fingernails. Can a DNA match be wrong?

The police find a stranger’s DNA on a victim’s fingernails. The forensic report came back with a match from the police database - but can a DNA match be wrong?

Can psychological bias contaminate forensic science? Author and criminal psychologist Dr Julia Shaw lays bare the secret world of expert witnesses. An expert on the reliability of memory, she has submitted evidence in more than 50 trials in the UK, US, and Canada. In this series, she dives into five seminal legal cases where the outcome hinged on a crucial piece of expert evidence.
 
In this episode, Julia tells the story of Lukis Anderson, whose DNA found its way on the fingernails of a murder victim he never crossed paths with. It turns out that a DNA match is not quite the smoking gun we think it is.

Dr Julia Shaw once again speaks with forensic scientist Jo Millington, this time about the limitations of DNA evidence and secondary transfer of DNA. She asks how bias in forensic science might come into play, even for DNA analysis. 

Presenter: Dr Julia Shaw
Produceer: Simona Rata

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5. DNA Transfer

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