Jeff Thompson Assistant Laboratory Director Serology/DNA Unit Scientific Investigation Division Los Angeles Police Department ASCLD 42 nd Annual Symposium.

Logistical Considerations to “Test Every Rape Kit”

Jeff ThompsonAssistant Laboratory Director

Serology/DNA UnitScientific Investigation DivisionLos Angeles Police Department

ASCLD 42nd Annual SymposiumApril 29, 2015

2008-2009 Backlog of (unrequested) kits: 6,132 Average # of kits received per month:

~105 Number of bench DNA analysts: ~10

◦ Few kits requested & tested◦ Extensive use of outsourcing◦ Turnaround time: >>120 days

Changes & Expectations◦ New hires since 2008: 40+◦ Goals

Turnaround time <90 days Test ALL kits without outsourcing

LAPD, we have a problem…

DNA testing determined by◦Sperm rating

Microscopy is time-consuming (especially if the kit is negative & includes slides generated by SART nurse)

◦Presence of nucleated epithelial cells on dried secretions E. Cells probative or not?

Perioral swab? Thigh swab? Minor’s left hand?

Concerns with existing screening protocol - Microscopy & Probative

Medical Report◦ Information not always consistent with

request submitted by Detectives Which one do you trust?

◦ Do you screen only the probative items based on the allegations? What if victim reports Loss of

Consciousness/Loss of Memory (LOC/LOM)?◦ What do you do if the alleged act is digital

penetration? Groping?

More concerns

Inspiration from Georgia Bureau of Investigation◦Switched from microscopy to Quantifiler Duo for screening rape kits

◦Achieved significant gains in screening productivity

Solution

Sexual Assault Evidence Kit

(SAEK)

Document SAEK Contents & Sample

Swabs

Water ExtractionMicroscopy

3µL aliquot to slide “pre-extraction”

Return to SAEK to sample swabs

Differential/Non-Differential extraction

(lyse e. cells)

Microscopy3µL aliquot to slide “post-extraction”

Sperm digest EZ1 CleanupQuant DuoMale DNA

GBI Procedural Modification

GB

I

GBI

Sexual Assault Evidence Kit

(SAEK)

Document SAEK Contents & Sample

Swabs

Water ExtractionMicroscopy

3µL aliquot to slide “pre-extraction”

Return to SAEK to sample swabs

Differential/Non-Differential extraction

(lyse e. cells)

Microscopy3µL aliquot to slide “post-extraction”

Sperm digestEZ1/QiaSymphony

CleanupQuant DuoMale DNA

LAPD MSD Procedural Modification

LAPD MSD

Male Screen Detail Program (MSD) Goals◦ Increase efficiency of screening

Quantifiler Duo Touch SAEK one time only

◦ Lower turn around times Write one report

◦ Expand duties of new hires DNA Technicians (Screeners trained to

extract/quant) Extracts passed on to DNA analysts Can employ personnel without DNA

coursework

Revamped Screening of Sexual Assault Evidence Kit (SAEK)

DNA Analyst “Triage” – Determining samples to

amplify Scientific Data

◦ Sperm Results◦ Male quantitation (Quantifiler Duo)◦ Male: Female Ratio (Quantifiler Duo)

Case Scenario◦ Single Suspect vs. Multiple Suspect◦ Consenting Partner◦ Minor Victim◦ Loss of Consciousness / Loss of Memory◦ Male Victim or Female Suspect

Combining Sperm and Quant Duo Results For Differential Samples

Category 2Sperm Rating >1Quant Duo =1-15 pg/µL

* 3% of samples

Category 1Sperm Rating >1Quant Duo >15 pg/µL

* 15% of samples

Category 3Sperm Rating >1Quant Duo =undetected

* 1% of samples

Category 4Sperm Rating= 0Quant Duo > 15 pg/µL

* 8% of samples

Category 5Sperm Rating = 0Quant Duo =1-15 pg/µL

* 14% of samples

Category 6Sperm Rating = 0Quant Duo = undetected

* 59% of samples

Official start date: December 3, 2012 1 Supervising Criminalist for case

management and admin reviews 9 DNA technicians 11 DNA analysts Rotational duties – 2 DNA techs

assigned to non-diff extractions and quants per week

DNA analysts float into tech positions, as needed

Male Screen Detail (MSD)

Turnaround time defined as:◦DATE REQUEST RECEIVED to DATE REPORT ADMIN REVIEWED Average 63 days Range 2-90 days

Current Stats

SAEK Turn Around Time

1/1/20127/1/20121/1/20137/1/20131/1/20140

50

100

150

200

250 Number of Kits In Progress Over Indicated Time

over 180 daysover 150 daysover 120 daysover 90 days

MS D

LAPD MSD process vs. LAPD “Old Way”◦Processing all kits with fewer personnel than “old way” would require Increased reagent costs offset by salary savings from increased productivity

◦Faster turn-around ◦Superior analytical results

Comparisons

How does MSD compare to other methods?◦Selective sampling (Fast Track Forensics –

FTF) used in Los Angeles for several years SART Nurse collects additional swabs &

submits directly to state lab for DNA extraction and typing (no screening) Based on victim statements and physical

findings FTF continued after implementation of

LAPD MSD Cases have been processed by both methods

Comparisons

Randomly selected 50 cases processed both by selective sampling (FTF) & MSD◦ Compared number of:

swabs examined profiles developed CODIS uploads

Cases included◦ 42% of victims reported loss of

consciousness or loss of memory

Comparisons

Average # of swabs screened per SAEK ◦MSD = 7.6◦FTF = 0 (unscreened, all are DNA typed)

Average # of swabs DNA typed per SAEK◦MSD = 2.6◦FTF = 2.6

Comparisons

MSD FTF0

5

10

15

20

25

30

25

11

Unique CODIS Uploads (Out of 50 Cases)

CODIS Uploads

MSD vs. FTF – CODIS Uploads

Will a detective recognize not all SAEK profiles were detected and request additional work?◦LAPD had assumed detectives would request all SAEKs be tested that should be tested. Of the 6,132 unexamined SAEKs identified

in the freezer audit:

Over 400 were stranger rapes

Further Considerations

Link cases◦ Rapes in two different cities (without an

arrest) won’t be linked otherwise◦ DDA’s will not file many cases with

vulnerable victims or consent issues Some criminals know this and deliberately

target vulnerable victims or develop “plausible” consent

Without filing, no arrest and no entry into CODIS◦ Multiple CODIS hits to the same offender can

encourage a DDA to file cases Multiple victims (even with credibility issues)

can corroborate each other

Why Do We Test Every SAEK?

Gary Ridgway◦“Green River Killer”◦Convicted of killing 49 (likely over 70)◦Targeted prostitutes & runaways◦Ridgway “took advantage of (prostitute)

services regularly”

Further Considerations

William Suff◦“Lake Elsinore Killer”/“Riverside

Prostitute Killer”◦Convicted of killing 12 (likely 22)◦Targeted prostitutes◦Suff escalated throughout his spree

Further Considerations

Did they start with murder, or sexual assault?◦ Was their first violent crime a homicide, or a

sexual assault? If the latter, did missed opportunities to link cases

allow them to victimize others & further hone their “skills” to avoid detection & prosecution?

◦ Could their killing sprees have been cut short or eliminated altogether if CODIS had linked them to the reported sexual assaults of multiple vulnerable victims?

Final Considerations

Lab Director Doreen Hudson◦ Had us examine other methods to back up our

consensus that we were doing things better

Supervising Criminalist Mike Mastrocovo ◦ Took GBI’s method and expanded it dramatically

Serology/DNA Unit◦ Did a ton of case work, validations & innovations,

under intense media scrutiny & Department pressure, to get us to where we are today

Acknowledgements

Jeff Thompson323-415-8115

[email protected]

Contact Information