Clearing the backlog
Without a DNA database, it’s likely that a Markleysburg man would have escaped rape charges. State police recently arrested 26-year-old Matthew J. Stilley for a sexual assault that occurred in March 2003. Like too many violent crimes, the case stalled, waiting for a break. That break came when crime analysts ran Stilley’s DNA profile through the computer system. His DNA matched that of forensic evidence gathered during the alleged sexual assault.
At the heart of every criminal case, prosecutors are burdened first with proving that a crime occurred and secondly that the accused is the perpetrator. DNA nails the second part.
Stilley’s DNA became available to police because of his conviction in Washington County for indecent assault. That conviction gives the judicial system the right to collect Stilley’s DNA, similar to the longstanding fingerprint system employed by law enforcement.
But processing DNA samples isn’t as easy as rolling ink across a suspect’s finger. The process is more complex, costly and can be performed only by highly skilled technicians. The backlog is tremendous and law enforcement needs help in bringing the system up to date.
Attorney General John Ashcroft on Monday stopped by Pittsburgh to announce nearly $95 million in grants to be used to help clear the backlog. Nationwide, some 500,000 DNA samples are pending from crime scenes and victims. Some 300,000 samples from convicted criminals, such as Stilley, need processing. And another million convicts have yet to submit the required DNA samples.
Since Pennsylvania established its data base in 1995 and linked with other states, tens of thousands of investigations were advanced and thousands of suspects identified. In addition to catching up with old crimes, new ones are committed daily, adding hundreds more cases to the labs.
The workload is tremendous, but so are the results. With every crime, the victim awaits justice. The wait for many can be shortened simply as manpower catches up with technology. Someday, within five years according to Ashcroft, the backlog will be erased, clearing thousands of old cases and making quicker progress with new ones. The grants are welcome news in reaching that goal.