31-Jan-2024

Human Trafficking Awareness and a Louisiana pistol rape

Cybergenetics is committed to serving justice in cases of injustice. The company played a key role in bringing a sex trafficker to justice in Louisiana v Willard Anthony. In this harrowing case, a young woman had been abducted from Florida to New Orleans, and forced into prostitution. A 2015 police raid found her severely beaten after she attempted to escape. She claimed that the gang had forcibly raped her at gunpoint. She also claimed that one suspect (her pimp), "inserted the gun into her vagina during the attack."

The AMT Backup pistol was tested by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Regional DNA Laboratory. The lab's traditional DNA analysis methods couldn’t interpret the gun's three-person DNA mixture. So the prosecutor had the lab send their DNA data to Cybergenetics. TrueAllele separated the mixture into three genotypes. TrueAllele then connected the handgun to three different people – the victim and both suspects.

In 2016, Cybergenetics' Dr. Mark Perlin testified at the Louisiana trial about the computer's DNA match results. Defendant Willard Anthony was found guilty of rape and human trafficking. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

We honored National Human Trafficking Awareness Day this month, and remembered victims of human trafficking. This DNA success story underscores the importance of innovative technologies in combating horrific crimes. Sometimes "inconclusive" results are insufficient. Cybergenetics continues its commitment to serving justice, and raising awareness about serious crimes like sex trafficking.

Remember, if you see something, say something. Report suspicious activities related to human trafficking to the appropriate authorities.