Evaluation of DNA mixtures from database search

Biometrics. 2010 Mar;66(1):233-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1541-0420.2009.01271.x. Epub 2009 May 18.

Abstract

With the aim of bridging the gap between DNA mixture analysis and DNA database search, a novel approach is proposed to evaluate the forensic evidence of DNA mixtures when the suspect is identified by the search of a database of DNA profiles. General formulae are developed for the calculation of the likelihood ratio for a two-person mixture under general situations including multiple matches and imperfect evidence. The influence of the prior probabilities on the weight of evidence under the scenario of multiple matches is demonstrated by a numerical example based on Hong Kong data. Our approach is shown to be capable of presenting the forensic evidence of DNA mixtures in a comprehensive way when the suspect is identified through database search.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • DNA / genetics*
  • Database Management Systems*
  • Databases, Genetic*
  • Forensic Genetics / methods*
  • Humans
  • Information Storage and Retrieval / methods*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Sequence Alignment / methods*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA / methods*

Substances

  • DNA