Working to solve a case when a crime has recently been committed is a challenge no matter where you are in the country and what leads you have to work with. Solving a cold case, though, is even more difficult.
It’s estimated that almost 340,000 cases of homicide and non-negligent manslaughter were never solved between 1965 and 2022, let alone burglaries, assaults and more. But imagine if your department had a tool that could quickly analyze a DNA sample from a suspect or a crime scene and generate a match to DNA from a crime scene or an individual generating an investigative lead in less than two hours.
That’s exactly the power that law enforcement offices across the globe experience with the RapidHIT DNA system by Thermo Fisher Scientific. Designed to analyze a DNA sample in roughly 90 minutes, it has strengthened their investigative and arrestee booking practices and helped them solve and prevent crimes. Here’s how one agency in Florida saw the value in solving cases more quickly by automating the upload and search of arrestee DNA into the national DNA database while the suspect is still in custody.
‘WAITING MONTHS ISN’T AN OPTION’
Collecting an arrestee’s DNA using a buccal swab has long been a part of the booking process at the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office just north of Jacksonville, Florida. While the swab procedure itself is quick, getting it analyzed, enrolled and searched against the criminal DNA database was anything but.
“Prior to adopting RapidHIT, we did what I call ‘old school DNA’ where we would swab the inside of their mouth and submit it. It could take two, three, four months to get an analysis on that,” explained Lieutenant Josh Hyers.
For investigators in a small county like Nassau, waiting that many months isn’t an option. Situated along Interstate 95, the department often arrests habitual offenders as they travel up and down the East Coast. “We could release them on a simple traffic violation and then four months later find out they’re wanted for a cold case back in the ’90s. With RapidHIT, we could solve that a lot quicker,” said Hyers.
Joining more than half a dozen other agencies, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office used grant money to invest in the RapidHIT ID platform going live in 2024. Hyers says it’s been an easy process everyone has learned fairly quickly.
“It’s just a few simple steps,” he said. “You collect the DNA sample, place it into a cartridge and insert it into the instrument and the instrument basically counts down for you, so you can submit the DNA and continue what you’re doing in the booking process as it’s doing the analysis.”
BENEFITS BENEATH THE SURFACE
The value of receiving DNA results in 90 minutes, particularly while a suspect is still in custody, is clear, but the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office has seen RapidHIT DNA provide other benefits, too.
“It not only gives you more time because you’re not spending hours and hours investigating, but you’re also catching criminals more quickly because you’re getting hits more quickly,” Hyers said. “You’re better able to exonerate the innocent too. We see on some of these cold cases that people are held for 10, 20, 30 years or more before it’s discovered that they didn’t commit the crime.”
Adding an arrestee’s DNA to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) helps disrupt and deter offenders. And the earlier in a criminal career an offender is enrolled the more likely and the longer the deterrence. If a perpetrator commits a future offense, automatic enrollment into the DNA database ensures any repeat offender can be identified immediately and not be unknowingly released.
Initially, the idea of implementing Rapid DNA technology can arouse hesitation, especially for departments with limited budgets. However, the RapidHIT system saves time and costs. The RapidHIT system is less expensive than traditional DNA analysis in addition to the opportunity savings and benefits from lower investigative man-hours, reduced recidivism and crimes prevented.1
PLANNING FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW
While agencies across Florida were quick to see the value of bringing on Rapid DNA technology, others might not, assuming their current processes are adequately enrolling all qualifying offenders or that implementing the platform may be too complicated. That’s where Thermo Fisher’s integration team comes into play.
“When you think of a booking station program, it’s most likely going to be multiple instruments in different geographic locations, monitored and administered by the central laboratory folks,” said Matt Gabriel, director of human identification product enablement and services at Thermo Fisher. A forensic scientist by trade with nearly two decades of experience in DNA labs, Gabriel and his team meet with each agency interested in integrating Rapid DNA into their booking process.
“To provide support and guidance and ensure a smooth implementation, we want to understand who will use and manage the program, where the devices will reside, their infrastructure set up and IT policies,” explained Gabriel. It’s also imperative to discuss the agency’s goals and vision for the program, including what the use of Rapid DNA looks like now and in future years.
“One of the questions I always put forward to agencies is, ‘How do you want to start the program today? And then how do you want to scale it in the future?’ Maybe next year they get more funding and they want to grow it,” he said. “Don’t plan for just today but plan for tomorrow’s scale.”
UNDERSTANDING THE WHY
Before going live with the program, investigators receive full training from Thermo Fisher and practice running samples in a test phase. The process, according to Hyers, was very straightforward.
“We really impress upon departments that we’re going to walk through all the unknowns and do it in a way that’s systematic and measured to meet the standards and best practices and to align with the agency’s goals,” said Gabriel.
Beyond learning the step-by-step process of Rapid DNA technology, officers can see the direct impact of integrating this technology. When you have an individual in custody that matches to an unsolved case in CODIS, the booking, arresting and investigating agencies are immediately notified via the wants and warrants network, NLETS. That person is staying in custody and not going back out into society with the potential to reoffend, emphasizes Gabriel. In addition to the public safety benefits, the impact on officer safety cannot be overlooked, he says.
The excitement of possibly generating a DNA match between the very next arrestee and a 20-year-old cold case is enough to keep those at the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office using RapidHIT regularly.
“We could get someone on a simple traffic violation, and we could run their DNA and get a major hit,” said Hyers. “I think our community would really be proud of our agency for that.”
Visit Thermo Fisher Scientific for more information.
1To read the full report “Economic Comparison of the Relative Costs and Efficiency of Using the Thermo Fisher Scientific RapidHIT ID System Versus Traditional DNA Analysis” go to https://business.wvu.edu/research-outreach/forensic-business-studies/foresight
