A New Jersey judge ruled that prosecutors can use evidence from the DNA tool STRmix in the trial of Paul Caneiro, who is accused of murdering his brother and his brother’s family in 2018. The judge found that STRmix had been tested and was reliable for use in criminal cases. Caneiro, who pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges, is accused of shooting his brother, stabbing his niece and nephew, and shooting and stabbing his sister-in-law before setting their home on fire. Prosecutors allege that he then set his own house on fire to cover up the crime. Jury selection for his trial is expected to start in May.
Prosecutors introduced more than a dozen DNA samples in the case using STRmix, a powerful tool that has revolutionized DNA analysis in forensic labs. In one instance, traditional methods failed to yield results when analyzing bloodstained jeans found in Caneiro’s basement, but STRmix showed that the DNA was highly likely to have come from his nephew. Caneiro’s defense lawyers challenged the reliability of STRmix, comparing it to essential systems in cars and airplanes, and suggesting it could produce false results that might lead to wrongful convictions. However, the judge ruled in favor of using evidence obtained with STRmix in the upcoming trial.
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