law suits, traditional rites and family feuds: how ......law suits, traditional rites and family...

Law Suits, Traditional Rites and Family Feuds: How Forensic DNA Analysis Helped Solve 10 Year old Post-Burial Family Litigation

Dr. Kofi Adjapong Afrifah (PhD)

Forensic Science Laboratory

Criminal Investigation Department Ghana Police Service

Accra

Adjunct Professor, Crime Scene Management and Advanced DNA Profiling,

Graduate Programme (Forensic Science)

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

1

A presentation delivered at the 3rd Qiagen

Investigator’s Forum in Cape Town,

South Africa on 7th November, 2019.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

2

Forensics…

• The application of science to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

3

Forensic Science applies…

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

4

• Chemistry

• Biology

• Physics

• Geology

• ICT

Places physical evidence into a professional discipline

} to civil and criminal law

Basic Principle of Relationship Testing…

• Every individual inherits 50% of the Genetic Make-up of Both Parents

• At each locus on a chromosome, two alleles, one from both parents are inherited

• In forensics, these alleles (STR markers) are used for human Identification

• With the Global FilerTM Kit, 24 STR markers used

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

5

The case…

• Request made by District Court for Forensic Examination

Exhume the remains of two graves from a cemetery

To conduct DNA Test to ascertain the genetic

identity of the suspected Human Remains

In relation to the alleged relatives of the suspected

human remains

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

6

Samples for Examination…

• I. Evidence samples taken from two graves

(human skulls, femur bones)

• II. Reference Buccal Swab Samples taken from

two families (children, mothers, fathers)

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

7

Samples for Examination…

• Family 1

• 1. Buccal swab from CO (alleged mother of

remains from Grave 1)

• 2. Buccal swab from MA (Alleged

Sister of remains from Grave 1)

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

8

Samples for Examination…

• Family 2

• 1. Buccal swab of AK (Alleged Father of remains

from grave 2)

• 2. Buccal swab of PK (Alleged Brother of remains

from grave 2)

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

9

Laboratory Procedures

• Buccal swabs from the alleged parent(s) from each family were subjected to Forensic DNA analysis following Standard Forensic DNA Analytical procedures

Extraction

Quantification

Amplification

Electrophoresis

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

10

Laboratory Procedures

• Bone samples from skull and femur from the 2 Graves were also subjected to Forensic DNA Analysis following same procedures

• Paternity and Maternity relationship tests were conducted on the skulls, femur and the families

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

11

Results

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

12

1. RESULTS

The results of the DNA quantification process are shown in figure 1.0, and table 1.0 respectively.

Results

Sample Name

Concentration

IPC CT Value

Skull Family 1

Skull Family 2

Relative Family 1

Relative Family 2

0.226

0.342

13.404

12.001

27.144

27.250

27.210

27.224

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

13

DNA Concentrations and IPC CT values from Real-time Quantification

CT=Cycle Threshold; IPC=Internal positive control; concentration (ng/µl);

Results…

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

14

Skull 2 from Grave 2 Buccal swab from AK

Results…

STR LOCI

ALLELE CALLS Parents alleles in skull 2 Paternity Index

AK Skull 1 Skull 2

D3S1358 16 15,17 14,16 Present 1.6113

vWA 13,15 15,17 15 Present 2.3507

D16S539 11,13 9,13 11,12 Present 0.8364

CSF1PO 8,11 11 8,10 Present 3.3112

TPOX 9 8,9 7,9 Present 2.3063

D8S1179 13,15 14 12,13 Present 1.1805

D21S11 28,32.2 28,30 32.2 Present 6.7875

D18S51 15,16 17,20 - - -

D2S441 11,12 11,13 11,12 Present 2.2556

D19S433 11,12 14,16.2 11,16 Present 3.3112

TH01 6,7 7,9 7 Present 1.2455

FGA 24,25 25 25,26 Present 2.4462

D22S1045 11,17 15,16 10,17 Present 1.0207

D5S818 12,13 12,13 10,13 Present 1.0526

D13S317 11,12 11 11,13 Present 0.8901

D7S820 10 10,11 10,11 Present 1.5042

SE33 18,25.2 14,20 17,18 Present 1.9286

D10S1248 15 12,14 14,15 Present 2.4027

D1S1656 14,16.3

14,17.3 16.3 Present

5.1706

D12S391 17,20 19,21 20,23 Present 1.9120

D2S1338 16,23 23,25 16,19 Present 4.4504

DYS391 10 NA NA NA NA

Y INDEL 2 NA NA NA NA

AMEL XY X X CPI= 1293669.4766

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

15

Results…

STR LOCI

ALLELE CALLS Mother’s allele in skull 1

MATERNITY INDEX

CO Skull 2 Skull 1

D3S1358 16,17 14,16 15,16

Present 0.8058

vWA 11,16 15 15,16 Present 0.9268

D16S539 8,11 11,12 8,10 Present 6.7751

CSF1PO 12 8,10 12,13 Present 1.7522

TPOX 8 7 8 Present 2.8451

D8S1179 12,13 12,13 13 Present 2.3607

D21S11 29,30 32.2 29,31 Present 1.3712

D18S51 17,20 - 20

Present 8.3403

D2S441 11,14 11,12 11,12 Present 0.6299

D19S433 13,15.2 11,16 13,15.2 Present 5.5151

TH01 9,10 7 7,10 Present 24.6913

FGA 23,24 25,26 24,26 Present 1.4596

D22S1045 12,17 10,17 12,15 Present 5.2219

D5S818 11,13 10,13 11,12 Present 1.0482

D13S317 11,12 11,13 11,13 Present 0.8901

D7S820 10 10,11 6,10 Present 1.5042

SE33 16 17,18 16,19 Present 9.0009

D10S1248 12,15 14,15

15 Present

2.4026

D1S1656 16,16.3 16.3 16.3,17.3 Present 2.5860

D12S391 17,19 20,23 19,21 Present 1.7292

D2S1338 23,24 16,19 20,24 Present 3.3523

DYS391 NA NA NA NA NA

Y INDEL NA NA NA NA NA

AMEL X X X CMI=202552413.7053

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

16

CO VS SKELETAL REMAINS FROM GRAVE

• CO (Alleged mother of remains from Grave 1 or 2) does not

share common allele with Skull 2 at some loci tested • The probability of stated relationship is given below: Combined Maternity Index (CMI) = 0 Prior Probability = 0.5 (Statistical constant) Probability of Maternity = 0%

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

17

ABEKAH FAMILY VS SKELETAL REMAINS

• CO (Alleged mother of remains from Grave 1 or 2) shares common allele with Skull 2 at all loci tested

• The probability of stated relationship is given below:

Combined Maternity Index (CMI) = 202552413.7053

Prior Probability = 0.5 (Statistical constant)

Probability of Maternity = 99.99%

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

18

CONCLUSIONS

• Skull 2 cannot be excluded as the biological daughter of CO

• Skull 1 cannot be excluded as the biological daughter of AK

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

19

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT…

• The remaining portions of the exhibits were handed over the court …

• Final Report of the Forensic DNA tests was presented to the court…

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

20

Funerals are great social occasions in Ghana…

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

21

DNA Technology revolutionized Forensics…

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

22

“In school, every period ends with a bell. Every sentence ends with a period. Every crime ends with a sentence”

…Stephen Wright, comedian

23 All Rights Reserved

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

24