Suffolk DA urges advanced DNA tech

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney urged New York lawmakers to embrace advanced DNA technology that helped secure Rex Heuermann's conviction in the Gilgo Beach serial killings case.

“We should not be fearful. We should embrace this technology.”

Technology identifies victims

Advanced DNA technology identified two Gilgo victims as 'Jane Doe' without it and linked victim Maureen Brainard-Barnes to Heuermann through fragmented DNA in a belt buckle.

Sister urges lawmakers

Melissa Cann, sister of victim Maureen Brainard-Barnes, urged lawmakers not to disregard the DNA technology in New York forensic labs.

“That advancement of DNA that is taken for granted... it still means the world to people like me, people who've lost loved ones to monsters.”

Privacy concerns raised

Experts warned that detailed genetic information from advanced DNA technology raises privacy concerns and requires safeguards to prevent arbitrary searches.

“In this country we're generally averse to the idea that we're subject to searches, arbitrarily. And, searching of genetic information is about as intimate a search as could be.”

Judge approved use

In Rex Heuermann's case, advanced DNA technology was approved by a judge after being challenged by the defense.

Public support for use

Early research suggests 80 to 90% of individuals support using advanced DNA technology to identify human remains, violent criminals, and exonerate the wrongfully convicted.

“And 80 to 90% of individuals believe that this should be used to identify human remains, to identify violent criminals, and to help exonerate the wrongfully convicted.”