What is a DNA test and how it is used in crime cases
DNA testing has become the standard procedure in most cases where an illegality has been committed, in an attempt to find the perpetrator.
This method is used both for identifying suspects and for identifying victims. And as for potential Caracal crimes, DNA evidence is an important part of solving the case. Human teeth and bones were found in the yard of the suspect Gheorghe Dincă.
Some sources have stated that anthropological expertise indicates that they belong to a girl between the ages of 15 and 17. Therefore, they could belong to Alexandra Măceșanu. The results on the DNA of the teeth could come Monday. Until then, here is some information on how a DNA test works.
How a DNA test can be used
DNA can be identified in any type of biological sample. Thus, genetic samples can be collected, for example, from blood, hair, skin cells, or other bodily substances. And because each of us has a different DNA, this is the ideal way to identify precisely who that person is.
The process by which such a test is performed is the following: the genetic samples are analyzed using the PCR (Chain Polymerization Reaction) technique. This is a method of amplifying a particular DNA sequence, which allows even a very small sample to be analyzed. After this test, the results are compared with the profiles from the databases or biological samples taken from the suspect or victim.
A person can also be identified with the help of teeth. Thus, the dental pulp, the tissue inside the teeth, which contains the person's DNA is extracted.
Why these tests can fail
One of the problems that investigators encounter is the determination of the exact moment when a genetic test arrived at a certain place. Thus, they cannot be sure if the DNA evidence they identify at the scene of the crime arrived there at the time of the crime. Also, if genetic evidence is found at the scene of the crime, this does not guarantee that they belong to the murderer.
On the other hand, even if these DNA samples are discovered, there is a chance that identification of the person to whom they belong will not be possible. On the one hand, it may not be in the database. Also, the trial can be made difficult by the lack of a suspect who can provide genetic evidence with which those taken from the scene can be compared.