(PIKESVILLE, MD) \u2013 Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, today announced the latest milestone for Maryland\u2019s DNA database, supporting its role as an invaluable tool to law enforcement in the ongoing effort to reduce crime, apprehend criminals, and exonerate the innocent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maryland\u2019s DNA database, housed at the State Police Forensic Sciences Division laboratory, has now recorded 10,000 positive comparisons, or \u201chits,\u201d as they are commonly referred to.\u00a0 A positive comparison occurs when DNA obtained from a crime victim or scene is matched with either DNA from a known offender sample or DNA from another crime scene.\u00a0 Matches occur using CODIS, the Combined DNA Index System, which enables access to both the Maryland DNA database and the National DNA database.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last month, scientists at the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division forwarded information to investigators with Homeland Security Investigations and the Prince George\u2019s County Police Department that the 10,000th positive DNA comparison through the use of Maryland\u2019s DNA database was connected to an open 2020 drug case they are investigating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The case dates back to June 2020, when law enforcement\u00a0interdicted a parcel containing a kilogram of fentanyl.\u00a0 During a subsequent search warrant at a location related to the investigation, law enforcement seized additional narcotics and drug distribution materials.\u00a0 During the search, a respirator that contained fentanyl residue was seized and subsequently swabbed for DNA.\u00a0 The DNA profile matched that of a male individual whose DNA was collected and added to the State of Maryland DNA Database after a previous conviction for a drug offense.<\/p>\n
This hit demonstrates how the DNA database plays a crucial role in solving crimes from older unsolved cases as well as from cases that cross jurisdictions and borders.\u00a0 More specific details in this case cannot be made known at this time because the investigation is ongoing and the suspect has not been charged.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maryland\u2019s DNA database was established by law in 1994 and the first positive comparison occurred in 1998.\u00a0 It was eight years later, in August 2006, when State Police scientists reached the 500th hit.\u00a0 Twenty-three months later, the 1,000th hit was recorded in July 2008.\u00a0 Fifteen months later, in October 2009, another 500 positive comparisons were reached.\u00a0 The 2,000th positive comparison mark was reached in January 2011.\u00a0 The 3,000th positive comparison was made in June of 2013.\u00a0 The 4,000th positive comparison occurred in May 2015.\u00a0 The 5,000th<\/sup> positive comparison was made in September 2016.\u00a0 The 6,000th<\/sup> positive comparison was made in January 2018. The 7,000th<\/sup> positive comparison was made in April 2019, followed the 8,000th<\/sup> in July 2020 and the 9000th<\/sup> in July 2021.<\/p>\n As of October 2022, there were 141,572 Maryland convicted offender DNA profiles in CODIS.\u00a0 Current Maryland law requires all persons convicted of a felony, fourth degree burglary, or breaking\/entering of a motor vehicle to submit a DNA sample that becomes part of the DNA database.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n On January 1, 2009, legislation took effect that requires those arrested and charged with qualifying violent crimes, or 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burglaries and attempts to commit those crimes, to submit a DNA sample.\u00a0 These type of samples are called \u201carrestee samples\u201d and hits to these samples are referred to as \u201carrestee hits.\u201d As of October 2022, there were 51,599 DNA profiles from arrestee samples in the Maryland DNA database.\u00a0 In addition to recording the 10,000th<\/sup> total hit, Maryland\u2019s DNA database has now recorded 1,480 arrestee hits.<\/p>\n The success of the statewide DNA database is due to the diligent efforts and cooperation of many individuals.\u00a0 They include the personnel of the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division and those in local police DNA laboratories, as well as the cooperative collection efforts by the Governor\u2019s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth and Victim Services, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, sheriff\u2019s offices and detention centers across the state, and Maryland\u2019s district and circuit court systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n ###<\/p>\n CONTACT:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Office of Media Communications, msp.media@maryland.gov<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" (PIKESVILLE, MD) \u2013 Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, today announced the latest milestone for Maryland\u2019s DNA database, supporting its role as an invaluable tool to law enforcement in the ongoing effort to reduce crime, apprehend criminals, and exonerate the innocent.\u00a0 Maryland\u2019s DNA database, housed at the State Police Forensic Read the Rest…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":162,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[41,28,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-forensic-sciences-division","category-press-releases","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/162"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25968"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25974,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25968\/revisions\/25974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/msp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}