NY looks at 800 rape cases for possible DNA errors

[January 11, 2013]  NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York City medical examiner is reviewing hundreds of rape cases for possible DNA evidence errors.

The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/USKQgr) reports that a lab technician may have mishandled critical DNA evidence in over 800 rape cases.

The ME's office says so far it has found 26 cases in which the technician failed to detect the DNA evidence when some actually existed.

It says in seven of the cases, full DNA profiles were developed.

In one case, the new profile matched a convicted offender's sample, leading to an indictment a decade after the evidence was collected.

In two other cases, the new DNA evidence was linked to people already convicted or under suspicion.

The cases span from 2001 to 2011.

The technician wasn't identified. She resigned in 2011.

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Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/

[Associated Press]

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