Forensic Scientist Reveals Disturbing Error Rates in DNA Database Matches

Forensic Scientist Reveals Disturbing Error Rates in DNA Database Matches

The National Offender database, which contains the DNA profiles of offenders, has more than 13 million profiles, almost double since 2009. However, there is growing concern about the accuracy of DNA matches and the potential for human error in the system. Forensic scientist and professor Dan Krane revealed alarming error rates in DNA test results on the "Hidden Killers" podcast with Tony Brueski.

Krane, who has extensive experience working with DNA databases, expressed his excitement about the potential to identify error rates or determine errors in DNA test results. He cited his involvement in an investigation for the state of Victoria in Australia, where he had access to about 15,000 DNA profiles. "When you did all possible pairwise comparisons of those 15,000 people, what you found is that there were a fair number that matched perfectly at 14 out of 18," Krane explained. "There were fewer that matched at 15 out of 18, but still some, fewer that matched at 16 out of 18, but still some, and then a whole bunch that matched at 17 out of 18, more than matched at 14 out of 18, and then a whole bunch that matched at 18 out of 18."

Krane explained that the only explanation for the ones that matched at 18 out of 18 was that these were people who were entered into the system twice, possibly under an alias. However, the ones that matched at 17 out of 18 indicated that there was a mistake in one of the two times their DNA got entered into the system. This translated into an error rate of one in 300. "And when you're talking about chances of a coincidental match in the quintillions or the bazillions, if you prefer, yet you make a mistake every 300th time that you try to generate a DNA profile, the bazillion number doesn't matter anymore. It gets swapped out by that chance of making a mistake," Krane said.

This error rate is particularly concerning as it means that opportunities to generate useful investigative leads are missed. If a DNA sample is collected from a crime scene and there is no suspect, authorities search the CODIS database to find a match. However, every 300th time this is done, a lead is not generated, which Krane believes is an unacceptably high failure rate given the consequences of having a rapist or a murderer go without being apprehended.

Krane suggested that one way to correct this could be by doing a pairwise comparison of the 13 million profiles in the federal database to determine if errors happen more frequently at one of the locations than others. "Maybe one of those loci just is more error-prone than others. Maybe the biology just doesn't work as well for that one locus. That one location. And when you do your database search, maybe you don't include that one, right? Or maybe you include it and this, but you factor in that you discount it because that one is just more prone to having a mistake," Krane suggested.

Krane also expressed concern about the secrecy surrounding the CODIS database and suggested that more people in the correct positions should have access to it to identify more criminals and solve more cases. He also mentioned the development of probabilistic genotyping systems, expert systems used to interpret test results that human analysts find too complicated. These systems, while not openly shared due to stringent non-disclosure agreements, can distinguish between signal and noise, which is particularly useful when dealing with a small amount of DNA or a sample with many different contributors.

While the expert systems may not explicitly use artificial intelligence (AI), they involve serious computer science undertakings with hundreds of thousands of lines of computer code. These systems may help reduce human error and improve the accuracy of DNA database searches, ultimately helping to catch more criminals and solve more cases.

Krane's insights highlight the need for more transparency and improvement in the system to ensure that DNA databases are used to their fullest potential in solving crimes and catching criminals.
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Rex Heuermann Gilgo Evidence Tour: Doll, Cage, DNA, and Hair

Rex Heuermann Gilgo Evidence Tour: Doll, Cage, DNA, and Hair

Rex Heuermann Gilgo Evidence Tour: Doll, Cage, DNA, and Hair Strategy, science, stakes—start to finish. With Jennifer Coffindaffer, we unpack the joinder ruling (seven counts, one jury), what the state gains, and where the defense will press “prejudice.” Then we walk the evidence story jurors are likely to hear: the search-warrant haul (yes, including the secret room, the large doll, the cage) and why seized items aren’t guilt until they’re tied to time, transfer, and corroboration. We dig into the science. Hair genome sequencing is “new to this courtroom,” not “new to the planet.” The defense will call it junk; the state will lean on validation and careful conclusions. We also talk family witnesses: could the daughter testify? Would Asa sit out or take the stand? How those choices land with jurors matters as much as the words themselves. Finally, timing. Between discovery battles, expert disclosures, and potential added counts, 2027 is a practical horizon—not a scare tactic. Joinder gives prosecutors a narrative runway; landing the plane requires clean science, credible witnesses, and pacing that respects the jury’s patience and skepticism. Hashtags  #HiddenKillers #GilgoBeach #RexHeuermann #DNA #ForensicScience #Court #LongIsland #TrueCrime #TonyBrueski #JenniferCoffindaffer  Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

27 Syys 202524min

Can Asa Ellerup Save Rex Heuermann? Family Fallout at Trial

Can Asa Ellerup Save Rex Heuermann? Family Fallout at Trial

Can Asa Ellerup Save Rex Heuermann? Family Fallout at Trial As Rex Heuermann prepares to face trial, his family’s role becomes a potential turning point. Could his ex-wife Asa Ellerup testify? Would their daughter take the stand? And what about documentary footage that could be subpoenaed, dragging private conversations into the courtroom? Tony and Eric unpack the risks of family testimony, the near-impossible task of seating an impartial jury in New York, and the emotional toll of putting loved ones under oath. With the public spotlight burning hot, the Gilgo Beach case isn’t just about DNA and evidence bags — it’s about families torn apart, jurors swayed by headlines, and the challenge of finding justice in a case everyone already thinks they know. Hashtags:  #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #HiddenKillersLive #TrueCrimePodcast #AsaEllerup #FamilyTestimony #FairTrial #TrueCrimeNews #SerialKillerCase #Justice Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

26 Syys 202512min

Inside the Heuermann Gilgo Killer’s Home Search: Secret Room, Cage, and the Eerie Doll

Inside the Heuermann Gilgo Killer’s Home Search: Secret Room, Cage, and the Eerie Doll

Inside the Heuermann Gilgo Killer’s Home Search: Secret Room, Cage, and the Eerie Doll Big procedural swing: one jury hears all seven counts. With Jennifer Coffindaffer we break down why prosecutors pushed for joinder and why the defense is already circling “prejudice” in red ink. The state’s pitch is pattern—victim type, geography, MO—one coherent story. The defense counters: decades apart, different methods, and the danger of letting weaker counts draft behind stronger ones. We also cut through the “creepy” optics of the search haul—secret room, large doll, cage. Creepy is not the standard. Agents don’t cart off curios for sport; they seize what they believe they can justify in court. Those items matter only when tied to timelines, transfer, and corroboration that shrink alternatives. There’s a trust problem too. This investigation lived under a cloud for a long time. Jurors will want clean lines, not shortcuts. That’s why joinder is both rocket fuel and a tripwire—the narrative has to stay tight. This segment lays out the rules of engagement: what gets in, what’s risky, and how you tell a decades-long story without losing a 12-person audience in the first act. Hashtags  #HiddenKillers #GilgoBeach #RexHeuermann #Court #Joinder #Evidence #LongIsland #TrueCrime #TonyBrueski #JenniferCoffindaffer Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

26 Syys 202512min

One Giant Trial: Rex Heuermann Faces 7 Gilgo Beach Murder Charges Together

One Giant Trial: Rex Heuermann Faces 7 Gilgo Beach Murder Charges Together

One Giant Trial: Rex Heuermann Faces 7 Gilgo Beach Murder Charges Together The Gilgo Beach case just changed forever. A judge ruled that seven murder charges against Rex Heuermann will be combined into one massive trial — a decision that could define justice for the victims and their families. Tony and Eric Faddis dissect what this means for the prosecution, the defense, and the jury. Does combining the cases give the state overwhelming power, or does it create unfair prejudice against the accused? How will jurors weigh a pattern of killings spread across decades? And what role will advanced DNA techniques play in sealing Heuermann’s fate? This is more than a legal technicality — it’s a move that reshapes one of the biggest serial killer cases in America. Hashtags:  #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #HiddenKillersLive #TrueCrimePodcast #SerialKillerCase #DNAEvidence #TrueCrimeNews #LongIslandMurders #EricFaddis #Justice Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

26 Syys 202514min

Asa and the Daughter: Will Accused Gilgo Killer Heuermann’s Family Take the Stand?

Asa and the Daughter: Will Accused Gilgo Killer Heuermann’s Family Take the Stand?

Asa and the Daughter: Will Accused Gilgo Killer Heuermann’s Family Take the Stand? “New to court” isn’t “made up yesterday.” With Jennifer Coffindaffer, we translate the court-approved hair genome sequencing into plain English: what it shows, what it can’t do, and how to explain it without turning jurors into lab techs. Expect the defense to yell “junk science”; expect prosecutors to answer with validation, protocols, and conservative takes that land. We walk the “household hair” tightrope—finding family hairs on burlap sacks is eye-catching, but transfer and secondary transfer are real. The job is to explain significance without implying guilt by osmosis. Then we talk about the witnesses closest to Rex Heuermann—could his daughter testify? Would Asa sit out or take the stand? Immunity, exposure, credibility—how those choices look from the jury box matters. And yes, the calendar. Discovery fights, expert disclosures, possible added counts—2027 isn’t dramatic; it’s realistic. The joinder win gives the state runway. Landing the plane will take clean science, credible witnesses, and pacing that respects juror skepticism. Hashtags  #HiddenKillers #GilgoBeach #RexHeuermann #DNA #GenomeSequencing #ForensicScience #Court #TrueCrime #TonyBrueski #JenniferCoffindaffer Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

26 Syys 202512min

Adelsons’ Dark Holidays, D4VD’s Body in the Trunk, Rex Heuermann’s Trial Tightrope

Adelsons’ Dark Holidays, D4VD’s Body in the Trunk, Rex Heuermann’s Trial Tightrope

Adelsons’ Dark Holidays, D4VD’s Body in the Trunk, Rex Heuermann’s Trial Tightrope In this episode of Hidden Killers Live with Tony Brueski, Stacy Cole, and Todd Michaels, the conversation swings from lighthearted Halloween chatter into some of the darkest cases dominating headlines today. The show opens with pumpkins, pasta sauce, and a creepy animatronic doll that leaves Harper screaming — but the mood shifts quickly as the hosts turn their attention to the Adelson family. Once known for wealth and influence, the Adelsons now face prison cells, empty chairs at holiday tables, and children left in the middle of a murder-for-hire plot. What do the holidays look like for a family split between freedom and incarceration? And how does Jeff Lacasse’s painful, raw testimony continue to shape public perception of Wendi Adelson and the damage she left behind? From Florida, the spotlight moves west to Hollywood. Rising star D4VD’s career collapsed overnight after the decomposed body of 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was discovered in the trunk of his Tesla. Tony is joined by defense attorney and former prosecutor Eric Faddis to unpack the legal nightmare: ownership vs. possession of the vehicle, the disturbing revelation of matching tattoos, grooming allegations, missing-person timelines, and deleted social media trails that may point to destruction of evidence. Is this the fall of a star — or could someone in his inner circle be framing him? Finally, the team shifts to Long Island, where accused serial killer Rex Heuermann faces a consolidated mega-trial after a judge ruled that seven murder charges will be tried together. With groundbreaking DNA technology, victim dignity concerns, and family fallout all in play, the Gilgo Beach case has become one of the most complex trials in recent memory. Can Heuermann’s ex-wife Asa Ellerup or even his daughter be called to testify? Can jurors truly remain impartial under this level of public scrutiny? And will new forensic science set precedent for murder prosecutions across the country? This episode blends sharp analysis, dark humor, and deep dives into three of the most haunting cases of our time — the Adelsons, D4VD, and Rex Heuermann — exposing not only the crimes, but the rippling human cost. Hashtags: #HiddenKillersLive #AdelsonCase #DanMarkel #D4VD #CelesteRivasHernandez #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #TrueCrimePodcast #Justice #TrueCrimeCommunity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

26 Syys 20251h 55min

Rex Heuermann's Burlap, Hair, and Pizza: The Forensic Breaks That Nailed the Gilgo Suspect

Rex Heuermann's Burlap, Hair, and Pizza: The Forensic Breaks That Nailed the Gilgo Suspect

The DNA Breakthrough & What Comes Next Rex Heuermann's Burlap, Hair, and Pizza: The Forensic Breaks That Nailed the Gilgo Suspect After years of dead ends, the case against Rex Heuermann broke open with a slice of pizza. Surveillance teams tailing him in 2023 collected a discarded crust, extracting DNA that matched hairs found on the burlap sacks wrapped around the Gilgo Beach victims. Not just his hair—familial matches tied back to his wife and daughter, consistent with the chaotic, unclean hoarder house investigators uncovered. Forensic science has now caught up with cold cases. Whole-genome sequencing—a powerful new tool—can analyze even hairs without roots, building a near-complete profile. Defense lawyers fought to keep it out, calling it “untested.” But the court just ruled: it’s in. Jurors may not understand the science, but they’ll understand this: it’s precise, it’s definitive, and it ties Rex Heuermann to the crime scene. We dig into what that means: how genome sequencing strengthens forensic cases, why it will likely become the new courtroom standard, and why Rex’s arguments about “new science” may backfire. And we ask: what about Asa? Did she know nothing, or was she so trauma-bonded and compartmentalized that denial became her survival? Her claim that “I still feel Rex is here” after the house raid shows a connection that goes beyond ordinary loyalty. From DNA on pizza crust to notes in the basement, the walls are closing in. The trial date hasn’t been set, but with DNA admitted, the odds of Rex Heuermann ever walking free again are vanishing. This is the turn from cold case to courtroom reality—and it’s decades in the making. Hashtags #RexHeuermann #GilgoBeach #LongIslandSerialKiller #DNAEvidence #WholeGenomeSequencing #HiddenKillers #ColdCaseSolved #TrueCrime #PizzaCrustDNA #CourtroomDrama Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

9 Syys 202512min

Asa Ellerup Speaks: Why She Still Defends Rex in the Gilgo Beach Case

Asa Ellerup Speaks: Why She Still Defends Rex in the Gilgo Beach Case

Asa Ellerup Speaks: Why She Still Defends Rex in the Gilgo Beach Case What does it mean when a wife says that telling her husband “I love you” would hurt him? In a recent documentary, Asa Ellerup, wife of accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, gave interviews that stunned audiences with her continued loyalty, denial, and outright disbelief. “He’s a family man. He didn’t do this,” she insists—even as evidence piles up. In this segment, we break down Asa’s words, her courtroom reactions, and her refusal to see the mounting proof. Then we contrast that with the most chilling discovery from Rex’s own basement: a typed “murder blueprint.” The document contained sectioned lists straight out of an engineering project plan: Problems: DNA, fingerprints, blood stains. Supplies: Rope (“heavy rope for neck”), saws, plastic drop cloths, acid and lye. Dump sites: GPS coordinates for multiple disposal locations. Targets: “Small women,” “remove tattoos,” “remove ID marks.” This wasn’t random scribbling. It was methodical. It even included reminders like “get sleep before hunt” and “use pushpins to hang drop cloths.” Cold, calculated, and terrifying in its simplicity. We unpack what it means when someone needs a checklist for murder, why the rigidity points to an engineering brain, and how denial in a spouse can cross from blindness into complicity. Add in the neighbors and coworkers who described Rex as aggressive, unsettling, and Jekyll-and-Hyde, and you get the full picture: a man hiding behind a suburban façade, and a wife who still insists it’s all a mistake. This is where the case stops being about “maybe” and starts staring us in the face. When you have lists that literally say “rope for neck,” how much more does it take? Hashtags #RexHeuermann #AsaEllerup #GilgoBeach #LongIslandSerialKiller #TrueCrime #MurderBlueprint #HiddenKillers #Denial #SerialKillerCase #TrueCrimeCommunity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

9 Syys 202512min

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