The Fallibility of Partial DNA in Courts - 1591 Words

DNA’s certainty is dramatized in today’s society, which gives lay people the impression that DNA is infallible; however, in the case of Wayne Butler and others, the fallibility of DNA is exposed. Wayne Butler was accused of sadistically murdering Natasha Douty who was found beaten to death on Brampton Island in 1983. Wayne Butler was vacationing on Brampton Island during the timeframe of the murder; however, claimed to be jogging during this time. After submitting a blood test, Butler was eliminated as a suspect. However, Butler was arrested in 2001 for this murder because semen, which was found on the towel at the crime scene, was found to be a match. The John Tonge Centre performed a DNA test on the evidence on the towel. Butler was found innocent after it was identified that the John Tonge Centre mislabeled the test tubes containing the crime scene evidence. (â€Å"DNA Evidence†) This case proves that DNA testing may not be as reliable as we think. No two people, except identical twins, have identical DNA sequences, which makes DNA testing appealing to law enforcement. Two types of DNA testing include short tandem repeat and variable number tandem repeat. Short tandem repeat requires less DNA compared to variable tandem repeat, which is â€Å"useful when a sample has been degraded at the crime scene.† (â€Å"DNA Evidence†) Whilst DNA evidence is a useful weapon in solving crimes, it is not infallible; therefore, it needs to be used with caution, especially with partial DNA profile,