Marshall University Forensic Science Center Director Dr. Terry W. Fenger delivered a presentation to West Virginia prosecutors Thursday about the latest advances in DNA technologies to gain more data from evidence.
The West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Association and the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute sponsored the annual 2015 Summer Meeting at the Stonewall Jackson Resort in Roanoke, W.Va., June 24-26. Prosecuting attorneys from around the state attended.
Fenger’s presentation was titled, “Process Improvement in a Changing Landscape.” It addressed the latest technologies and developments in the area of DNA analysis and its value as an investigative tool for criminal justice purposes.
“In support of the continuing education process, it is important to provide prosecutors with updates on new technological advances as well as how these advances relate to privacy issues,” Fenger said.
“New technologies are still in the developmental stages and may allow DNA found at crime scenes to yield information on traits, revealing how the perpetrator looked in appearance, such as ethnicity and overall facial features.”