Jury hears DNA profiles tie two dead men to Acadia Drive scene, vehicle

A government forensic analyst on Tuesday testified that DNA profiles matching two of the three men killed by police along Acadia Drive in St Andrew in January 2013 were identified on several exhibits, while two samples allegedly taken from a vehicle linked to the incident failed to produce DNA profiles.

The evidence came during the ongoing murder trial of six policemen in the Home Circuit Court before Justice Sonia Bertram Linton and a seven-member jury.

Sergeant Simroy Mott, Corporal Donovan Fullerton, and Constables Andrew Smith, Sheldon Richards, Orandy Rose, and Richard Lynch are charged with the murders of Matthew Lee, Mark Allen, and Ucliffe Dyer, who were killed during a police operation.

The men were reportedly travelling in a blue Mitsubishi Outlander motor vehicle when the police signalled them to stop.

The witness testified that a full DNA profile – the second of three full profiles obtained – was obtained from a swab of the sidewalk at the scene, which matched a blood sample taken from Lee.

According to the witness, the probability of selecting an individual randomly from the population unrelated  with the same DNA profile obtained from the swab was approximately one in 30 quintillion 960 quadrillion.

"The deceased Matthew Lee cannot be excluded as being the source of this DNA profile," she told the court.

The analyst also testified that two partial DNA profiles obtained from swabs allegedly collected from different locations inside a blue Mitsubishi Outlander corresponded with Lee's DNA profile.

One of the samples produced matching results in 12 of the 13 genetic markers tested, while another yielded full results.

Despite the incomplete profiles, the witness said Lee could not be excluded as the source of the DNA detected on the exhibits.

The court also heard that a third full DNA profile obtained from a swab allegedly taken from the lawn at the scene matched a blood sample taken from Mark Allen.

The analyst said the probability of a random unrelated person having the same profile was approximately one in 900 trillion.

"The deceased Mark Allen cannot be excluded as being the source of this DNA profile," she testified.

However, not all of the exhibits yielded usable results.

The analyst said a swab identified as Exhibit J, allegedly taken from the Mitsubishi Outlander, contained insufficient DNA to produce results for any of the 13 areas tested.

She explained that although a DNA profile could not be generated, scientists were able to determine that the limited genetic material recovered from the sample originated from a male.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com

A second exhibit, described as a sample of bone and flesh allegedly recovered from the vehicle, also failed to produce a DNA profile.

Under questioning, the witness explained that swabbing an item does not guarantee the collection of DNA and noted that DNA may be present in quantities too small to detect or may have degraded over time.

She further explained that random- match probabilities are calculated using frequencies derived from a database of DNA samples from the Jamaican population, with larger probability figures indicating the rarity of a matching profile occurring by chance.

The court previously heard that a full DNA profile recovered from blood allegedly found on a sidewalk at the scene matched DNA profiles obtained from a T-shirt allegedly taken from Dyer's body and a blood sample collected from the deceased.

The trial continues today, with the witness being cross-examined by the defence.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com