Deseret News reporter Pat Reavy filed the following report:
Murder charge filed in ‘89 death of Utah County woman
DNA is matched to suspect, who’s in prison in S. Carolina
By Pat Reavy
Deseret News
Published: Wednesday, June 9, 2010 1:11 a.m. MDT
SALT LAKE CITY — Police have issued an arrest warrant for a man accused of killing a Utah County woman [...]
HOUSTON — The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Squad recently charged three people in three unrelated cases after evidence was submitted to crime laboratories working under their Federal Grant from the National Institute of Justice.
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He went through every piece of evidence again, and this time happened to find a small tissue sample, either a piece of skin or fingernail, in the preserved soil, Winder said. That tissue sample was taken to Sorenson Forensics in Salt Lake City last month. The DNA matched Hicker’s, Winder said.
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“Investigators finally caught a break earlier this year, thanks to a new DNA testing lab created by Utah billionaire James LeVoy Sorenson.”
“Since last October Sorenson Forensics has helped identify suspects in two other cold cases.”
“The company is currently investigating a few dozen cases from across the country.”
“State and federal authorities often outsource DNA work to [...]
Suspect’s DNA tied to strangulation of Woods Cross woman
“And once again, Salt Lake-based Sorenson Forensics, who helped Salt Lake City police crack three of their cold cases recently, was responsible for helping investigators.”
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Y-chromosome test thaws three SLC cold cases
“… the Sorenson lab is the first in the state to use the new method, which singles out the Y chromosome – effectively linking skin cells, hair, blood or other DNA evidence specifically to their male owners.”
“This science was effective in filing charges against 40-year-old Michael Jones in the [...]
State of the City Address | Ross C. “Rocky” Anderson
Mayor of Salt Lake City
January 16, 2007
Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson specifically mentions the outstanding service provided by Sorenson Forensics in his state of the city address.
“After we formed the Cold Case Unit, Detectives Cordon Parks and Kelly Kent reexamined all available evidence and followed [...]
A new company, Sorenson Forensics, recently made the match to Peterson, who is now being held in a Phoenix jail waiting to be transported to Utah. Sorenson Forensics is also credited for its involvement with two other cold case arrests made just last week. Michael Jones was arrested for the 2004 murder of Tara Brennan. [...]
“Salt Lake City police appear to have solved three “cold cases” in just one week, thanks in big part to a new company that does sophisticated DNA profiling.”
“Sorenson Forensics, which just opened for business in October 2006, is an expansion of Sorenson Genomics. The company, however, is geared more toward law enforcement. It bills itself [...]