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Mixed Body Swabs in a Homicide Linked the Suspect to the Crime - Alford Plea to First-Degree Murder

Case summary

Richard Brunkhorst, 91, was found murdered in his Maryland home with injuries consistent with defensive wounds. Police developed a suspect (Charles John Smullen), who was found with the victim’s stolen car and with dried blood traces on his clothing. Several swabs taken from the victim’s body contained mixed DNA. TrueAllele® interpretation on the lab data produced inclusionary match statistics connecting those body swabs to Smullen. Smullen entered an Alford plea to first-degree murder and received a sentence of life in prison without parole.

What physical evidence did investigators have

  • In violent homicides, swabs from the victim’s body and defensive wounds can carry DNA mixtures.

What was submitted

  • The lab’s electronic DNA data files for the victim body swabs (no re-testing).

What changed after TrueAllele interpretation

  • TrueAllele produced inclusionary match statistics (ranging from roughly hundreds to millions) between the mixed body swabs and Smullen.

Outcome

  • Smullen entered an Alford plea to first-degree murder and received a sentence of life in prison without parole.

Investigator quote: “thank you… I have sung your lab’s praises to many law enforcement agencies in Maryland…”

Case Takeaways

If your homicide case includes mixed swabs from a victim’s body or defensive wounds:

  1. Request the electronic DNA data files (.fsa or .hid) for the evidence items and reference profiles, including allelic ladder files.
  2. Include your suspect comparison sample if you have one.
  3. Start with a Free TrueAllele Screening on the most probative items before expanding.

For more information on what to request from the lab, see the Sending Cases for TrueAllele Processing page.

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We don’t retest physical evidence items. We interpret the electronic DNA data a lab already generated.