TrueAllele solves 1963 Winnebago cold case using “inconclusive” DNA

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts v Jonathan Whigham

TrueAllele analyzes evidence in domestic dispute

Crime In 2020, police responded to a domestic incident where a man allegedly assaulted his girlfriend and threatened her with a gun.
Evidence Police found a firearm located within a sock during the investigation.
DNA The Boston Police Department Crime Laboratory developed DNA data from the firearm and sock swabs.
Match Using manual interpretation, the lab was able to include both the complainant and defendant Jonathan Whigham as contributors to the firearm with a CPI match statistic of 480 thousand both comparisons. The lab was unable to interpret the sock DNA data due to the complexity of the mixture.
TrueAllele The computer calculated match statistics between the firearm and both references with match statistics for each comparison in the hundred septillions (1 followed by 26 zeros). TrueAllele also interpreted the sock DNA data and calculated inclusionary match statistics in the hundred sextillions (1 followed by 23 zeros) for both reference comparisons.
Cybergenetics    On December 20, 2022, Cybergenetics analyst Jennifer Bracamontes testified before a Boston jury about the TrueAllele DNA results, giving an opinion about how the DNA results could help support the defendant’s case.
Outcome The jury found Mr. Whigham guilty on multiple weapons and drug charges. They found him not guilty of various assault charges. The court sentenced Mr. Whigham to 10 years in prison with a 5 year term of probation upon release.
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