Anyone’s DNA, including that of medical professionals, could inadvertently wind up at a crime scene.
Doctors rarely think about the fact they are touching human bodies all day. Least of all that this action could enable traces of their DNA to wander elsewhere on that same individual.
In one case in the US, paramedics transferred their previous patient’s DNA to a crime scene – inadvertently framing that previous patient for murder.
Luckily for the patient, he had the alibi of being both in hospital and “stone cold drunk” at the time of the murder-robbery.
But it has led to questions about the darker side of DNA science and how it could be as simple bodies and clothes coming into contact with more than one person.
This episode we’re joined by Dr Georgina Meakin, a forensic scientist who advises on cases in Australia, about DNA transfer and what it means for criminal investigations.
You can listen and subscribe to the show by searching for “The Tea Room Medical Republic” in your favourite podcast player.
