New Forensic Method Can Determine a Person's Age from Blood Left at a Crime Scene
Estimating Age from the DNA in Blood By adding up the number of a certain kind of DNA molecule present in a blood sample, forensics experts can get a rough estimate of the owner's age. The technique could be used to help build profiles of suspected persons in criminal investigations. Forensic scientists have a new tool to help them reconstruct the identities of persons at the scene of crime, at least the kind of crime scene where things got physical. Dutch researchers have devised a method for estimating the age of a suspect or missing person by simply examining blood collected from the scene, even if that blood isn't particularly fresh. The test isn't perfect; that is, it has a margin of error of nine years in either direction. But in cases where police are trying to build a profile of an unknown person, the test can narrow the possibilities down...