03-Apr-2009

Cybergenetics TrueAllele® DNA Match Used in Homicide Conviction

TrueAllele Interpretation Proves More Informative Than Other DNA Mixture Methods

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cybergenetics is pleased to have provided objective TrueAllele® computer interpretation of the DNA evidence in the trial of Pennsylvania state trooper Kevin Foley for the slaying of Blairsville dentist John Yelenic.

"John Yelenic provided the most eloquent and poignant evidence in this case," said the prosecutor, senior deputy attorney general Anthony Krastek. "He managed to reach out and scratch his assailant," capturing the murderer's DNA under his fingernails. The DNA mixture contained 93% of the victim, and only 7% of an unknown person.

After examining the DNA evidence, the prosecution's three experts each presented a different DNA match score at the trial. One said that a DNA match between the evidence and defendant Foley was 13 thousand times more likely than a match with a random Caucasian person. Another said that the number was 23 million. Cybergenetics expert Dr. Mark Perlin testified to a match score of 189 billion.

Dr. Perlin explained to the jury why these apparently different results were expected by DNA science. "The less informative methods ignored some of the data," said Dr. Perlin, "while the TrueAllele computation considered all of the available DNA data."

"A scientist may look at the same slide using the naked eye, a magnifying glass, or a microscope," analogized Dr. Perlin. "A computer that considers all the data is a more powerful DNA microscope." The jury deliberated for just five hours and convicted Foley of first degree murder.

Cybergenetics is the leading developer of computer systems that objectively interpret DNA evidence. Cybergenetics TrueAllele® products infer genotypes and match them, extracting considerably more identification information from challenging data than other methods. The Pittsburgh based company was founded in 1994, and is privately held. United States patents include 5,541,067, 5,580,728, 5,876,933, 6,054,268, 6,750,011 and 6,807,490.