Comments from Dr. Speth, the ME who saved THE DNA sample
Sept 27, 2018 1:16:19 GMT
rkz, almagata, and 13 more like this
Post by winters on Sept 27, 2018 1:16:19 GMT
I thought you folks might find this interesting. Recently posted on a Reddit thread in response to this article.
Comments from Dr. Pete Speth, the Ventura County Medical Examiner who saved the DNA sample that was used in GEDMatch to finally track down DeAngelo --
Back in 1980, we didn't have DNA. We relied on identifying suspects with blood groups and enzymes. Both, however, are subject to deterioration when exposed to room temperature and moisture. So, I conducted the rape examines at the scenes as soon as the scenes had been secured and before the body had been moved so as to obtain the samples in an undisturbed manner. I placed the swabs, cotton-end up in tubes in a tube rack and air-dried them, then sealed them in the tubes with a small capsular desiccant and placed them immediately at the scene in dry ice, from whence they went to the freezer. That is why the samples were still pristine after almost 40 years. But, it also seemed perilous to have only one evidence kit, especially since the kits in the crime lab were subject to thawing, refreezing and re-thawing over time as tests would be done which I knew would cause deterioration. So, I routinely prepared two evidence kits --- one went to the crime lab and the other was saved in the freezer at the medical examiner office. We didn't have that many rape-murders, so the number of evidence kits were very manageable in the ME freezer.
When Dr. O'Halloran was medical examiner years later, they built a new medical examiner office with a new freezer. Fortunately, Armondo Charves, employed in the medical examiner office, carefully transferred all the kits from the old building into the new, vefry quickly so that they did not thaw out. He gets a big hi-five from me.
I am now 82 years old. There is still only one detective available from the Charlene and Lyman Smith scene investigation and that is Gary Akinson. Like someone mentioned above, it is important that we are available to testify as soon as possible while we are still around. And there is a mechanism for this and that is called a "Conditional Trial." What that is --- it is a trial just like the real trial (judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, witnesses under oath) except that there is no jury. The procedure is videotaped. If, God for bid, we are not around for the jury trial, the video can be used as a substitute during the jury trial. The only limitation is that it would require a death-penalty-case to be reduced to a life-in-prison under those circumstances.
I hope that I have answered some of your questions and, again, thanks for all the compliments. But, again, I was just doing my job the way it should be done.
Let me add that the Charlene and Lyman murder scene still haunts me. I knew back then when I testified at the prelim that they had the wrong guy when they charged Joe Alsip. It ruined his life, and the wasted months of focus on Joe Alsip deterred from looking for the true murderer.--- I have lived year after year waiting and hoping that the true monster who carried out that murder would be caught before he died and before I died. His arrest finally allowed me to sleep again with relief!! There are several heroes in this drama, but the three I wish to honor are Larry Pool, Barbara Rae-Venter and Paul Holes.
By the way, My first name "Claus" (I grew up in Amsterdam in the Netherlands) was merely used for my registered business name while I was in California. I have always gone by my name "Pete" among those who are friends and peers. And, incidentally --- someone referred to me as a coroner. Boy, I could spend the rest of the afternoon explaining the difference between a coroner and a medical examiner.
And later, in response to one of my comments:
So far, we have not been called up for "conditional trial" testimony, i.e. we have not been videotaped yet and it worries me.
(Read the Reddit thread here)
Also -- we'll be doing a dedicated Q&A thread over there, which I'll link to once it's live.
Comments from Dr. Pete Speth, the Ventura County Medical Examiner who saved the DNA sample that was used in GEDMatch to finally track down DeAngelo --
Back in 1980, we didn't have DNA. We relied on identifying suspects with blood groups and enzymes. Both, however, are subject to deterioration when exposed to room temperature and moisture. So, I conducted the rape examines at the scenes as soon as the scenes had been secured and before the body had been moved so as to obtain the samples in an undisturbed manner. I placed the swabs, cotton-end up in tubes in a tube rack and air-dried them, then sealed them in the tubes with a small capsular desiccant and placed them immediately at the scene in dry ice, from whence they went to the freezer. That is why the samples were still pristine after almost 40 years. But, it also seemed perilous to have only one evidence kit, especially since the kits in the crime lab were subject to thawing, refreezing and re-thawing over time as tests would be done which I knew would cause deterioration. So, I routinely prepared two evidence kits --- one went to the crime lab and the other was saved in the freezer at the medical examiner office. We didn't have that many rape-murders, so the number of evidence kits were very manageable in the ME freezer.
When Dr. O'Halloran was medical examiner years later, they built a new medical examiner office with a new freezer. Fortunately, Armondo Charves, employed in the medical examiner office, carefully transferred all the kits from the old building into the new, vefry quickly so that they did not thaw out. He gets a big hi-five from me.
I am now 82 years old. There is still only one detective available from the Charlene and Lyman Smith scene investigation and that is Gary Akinson. Like someone mentioned above, it is important that we are available to testify as soon as possible while we are still around. And there is a mechanism for this and that is called a "Conditional Trial." What that is --- it is a trial just like the real trial (judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, witnesses under oath) except that there is no jury. The procedure is videotaped. If, God for bid, we are not around for the jury trial, the video can be used as a substitute during the jury trial. The only limitation is that it would require a death-penalty-case to be reduced to a life-in-prison under those circumstances.
I hope that I have answered some of your questions and, again, thanks for all the compliments. But, again, I was just doing my job the way it should be done.
Let me add that the Charlene and Lyman murder scene still haunts me. I knew back then when I testified at the prelim that they had the wrong guy when they charged Joe Alsip. It ruined his life, and the wasted months of focus on Joe Alsip deterred from looking for the true murderer.--- I have lived year after year waiting and hoping that the true monster who carried out that murder would be caught before he died and before I died. His arrest finally allowed me to sleep again with relief!! There are several heroes in this drama, but the three I wish to honor are Larry Pool, Barbara Rae-Venter and Paul Holes.
By the way, My first name "Claus" (I grew up in Amsterdam in the Netherlands) was merely used for my registered business name while I was in California. I have always gone by my name "Pete" among those who are friends and peers. And, incidentally --- someone referred to me as a coroner. Boy, I could spend the rest of the afternoon explaining the difference between a coroner and a medical examiner.
And later, in response to one of my comments:
So far, we have not been called up for "conditional trial" testimony, i.e. we have not been videotaped yet and it worries me.
(Read the Reddit thread here)
Also -- we'll be doing a dedicated Q&A thread over there, which I'll link to once it's live.