Orchid Cellmark Helps Houston Police Identify Suspect in Decade-Old Serial Killer Case

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Orchid Cellmark Helps Houston Police Identify Suspect in Decade-Old Serial Killer Case
Posted on: 11/04/2003

PRINCETON, N.J. -- Orchid BioSciences, Inc. announces that its Orchid Cellmark unit, a leader in private forensic DNA testing, analyzed biological evidence from a 1992 murder that resulted in the identification and arrest of a suspect believed to be responsible for the sexual assault and strangulation deaths of four Houston- area women dating back to 1986.

According to a statement from the Houston Police Department, "Anthony Allen Shore ... has confessed to his roles in the young women's murders." The DNA analysis was done at Orchid Cellmark's forensic laboratory in Dallas, Texas.

The testing in this case was done under a contract awarded to Cellmark in August by the Houston Police Department to conduct forensic DNA analysis for new cases as well as retesting for prior cases. This arrest was made less than one month after Orchid Cellmark received the DNA evidence from the Houston police. Orchid Cellmark provides similar service to hundreds of police departments and criminal justice agencies nationwide and was recently awarded a contract to provide scene-of-crime forensic DNA testing for the largest police force in the U.K. headquartered in Scotland Yard.

"Orchid Cellmark's capabilities in advanced DNA analysis coupled with our long experience and expertise allow us to make identifications that couldn't be imagined when we began this work back in 1987," said Mark D. Stolorow, executive director of Orchid Cellmark. "Today we can help make it possible for the authorities to solve so-called `cold-case' crimes like the Houston case that rely on DNA samples that are old, degraded, or very small. The rapid success in this case demonstrates that private sector laboratories can provide a valuable resource to help government agencies address DNA testing backlogs."

Orchid Cellmark has conducted DNA genotyping for cases involving O.J. Simpson, JonBenet Ramsey and the Unabomber. In cooperation with television's History Channel, Cellmark has recently conducted DNA analysis of evidence that is more than 65 years old in a case involving an alleged relative of Jesse James. Cellmark also performed the DNA analysis in cases that re-opened prior convictions, including the release earlier this year of four men wrongly convicted of a 1986 murder in Chicago.

Orchid Cellmark has a long history of using advanced DNA analysis techniques for identity testing outside of the criminal arena. It was the first laboratory to use new DNA technology to identify casualties in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Orchid's pioneering SNP technology is currently being used in collaboration with the New York Office of Medical Examiner in an attempt to identify the large number of 9/11 World Trade Center victims for whom conventional identification methods have failed.

Orchid Cellmark, the forensic strategic business unit of Orchid BioSciences, Inc., has been a leader in private forensic DNA analysis since 1987. Orchid Cellmark has an international network of forensic testing laboratories in the U.S. and U.K., making it the largest private DNA forensic testing service provider in the world. Orchid Cellmark provides a full range of high quality, customized forensic DNA testing services, including identification of victims of accidents and disasters, criminal casework analysis and expert testimony, convicted offender DNA databasing, no-suspect casework for government law enforcement laboratories, and DNA testing and consultative services for the defense bar as well as for the prosecution. Orchid Cellmark, which has conducted DNA testing for many notable forensic investigations, uses a variety of genetic analysis methods for its forensic DNA studies and is a leader in developing improved technologies for genetic analysis. This year the company launched "DNA Express Service," a premium service to help local law enforcement agencies analyze backlogs of DNA evidence from unsolved crimes. DNA Express provides forensic DNA analyses in five business days as opposed to the standard four to five weeks.

Source: Orchid BioSciences, Inc.