^who were 16-60 at the day of the murder of course

DNA is no silver bullet, I should be very concerned by the possibility of a false positive result if lots of people are being tested with no other implicating evidence.

See Bayes' Theorem for details.

I saw it in a talkshow once. The method was supposed to be quite successfull.

As for the murderer giving DNA material: when 96% or more of your community gives samples you'd be suspect if you don't. And that's probably one of the moral limits: what if you don't want to give DNA samples for what for reason whatsoever?

ACAB > DNA

I would be perfectly happy with the state holding a sample of my DNA. I have nothing to hide.

@ Zmaj: "ACAB > DNA"

Ok, and once you've abolished the police, who are you going to call if you get burgled, or if your car is stolen, or if you're mugged?

Zmaj, why don't you go check out these nice kids over there in the Games section who are giving the game "Gunboat" a try hmm?

Sounds good to me. There are odds of a false positive but someone would ask to be tested another 20 times to make sure the results are right. There's no 100%-accurate test but DNA is as close as it gets.

^They actually did a second test on the same person and the result was identical. Also, this person was apparently already known to the police and this is a normally very tranquile region of my country: I'm sure it's no coincidence...

Yeah, I doubt it was a coincidence. If the first test has a 98% success rate, both combined have what, a 99.89% success rate? That's pretty good. If you really want to go a step further and do a third - which will probably happen during appeals if your lawyer can pull it off - then the success rate is well into the 99.9999999….% area.

You are assuming that the false positives are independent, I don't know that that is true.

In my (limited) high school and undergraduate testing of DNA, we found that false positives are only likely iff (if and only if) the multiple tests are simplistic (i.e. no variation between them). Preliminary (and advanced) DNA tests (to my knowledge, which may be limited and outdated) are not so frequent in false positives that they are worthless, and secondary tests (so long as they measure for different, also unique, genomic features) confirm any false positive as negative. DNA testing techniques are very advanced, not as much as a CSI show or a modernized Sherlock Holmes, but they're still very advanced and unlikely to yield multiple false positives (so long as the person testing is competent).

Considering how often CC numbers get stolen, I don't see how this could possibly be considered a good thing. Also, knowing my state is completely incompetent at handling evidence (see Mass Drug Lab scandal) I have 0 interest giving the government a pristine sample of my DNA.

Also, what kind of DNA sample was required (I haven't read the article)? Was it hair, stool, or something more, uh, fun to give? Makes a difference.

This is a partial list of people who have been wrongfully convicted on the basis of unvalidated/improper forensic evidence (in some cases the result of willful misconduct or negligence on the part of 'impartial' DNA testing labs) and have subsequently been exonerated:

Last First State Conviction Year Exoneration Date Real Perpetrator Found Compensation
Abdal Habib Wahir NY 1983 1999 Not Yet Yes
Adams Kenneth IL 1979 1996 Yes Yes
Alejandro Gilbert TX 1990 1994 Not Yet Yes
Atkins Herman CA 1988 2000 Not Yet Yes
Avery Steven WI 1985 2003 Yes Yes
Barnes Steven NY 1989 2009 Not Yet Yes
Bauer Chester MT 1983 1997 Not Yet Yes
Bibbins Gene LA 1987 2003 Yes Yes
Blair Michael TX 1994 2008 Not Yet Not Yet
Boquete Orlando FL 1983 2006 Not Yet Not Yet
Bravo Mark Diaz CA 1990 1994 Not Yet Yes
Brewer Kennedy MS 1995 2008 Yes Yes
Briscoe Johnny MO 1983 2006 Yes Not Yet
Brison Dale PA 1990 1994 Not Yet Not Yet
Bromgard Jimmy Ray MT 1987 2002 Not Yet Yes
Brown Dennis LA 1985 2005 Not Yet Not Yet
Brown Roy NY 1992 2007 Yes Yes
Bryson David Johns OK 1983 2003 Not Yet Yes
Buntin Harold IN 1986 2005 Not Yet Not Yet
Byrd Kevin TX 1985 1997 Not Yet Yes
Charles Clyde LA 1982 1999 Yes Yes
Charles Ulysses Rodriguez MA 1984 2001 Not Yet Yes
Cole Timothy TX 1986 2009 Yes Not Yet
Cotton Ronald NC 1985, 1987 1995 Yes Yes
Courtney Sedrick OK 1996 2012 Not Yet Not Yet
Cowans Stephan MA 1998 2004 Not Yet Yes
Criner Roy TX 1990 2000 Not Yet Yes
Crotzer Alan FL 1981 2006 Not Yet Yes
Dabbs Charles NY 1984 1991 Not Yet Not Yet
Dail Dwayne Allen NC 1989 2007 Yes Yes
Danziger Richard TX 1990 2002 Yes Yes
Davidson Willie VA 1981 2005 Not Yet Yes
Davis Gerald WV 1987 1995 Not Yet Yes
Davis Dewey WV 1987 1995 Not Yet Yes
Daye Frederick CA 1984 1994 Yes Yes
Dean James NE 1990 2009 Yes Not Yet
Dedge Wilton FL 1982 2004 Not Yet Yes
Diaz Luis FL 1980 2005 Not Yet Not Yet
Dillon William FL 1981 2008 Not Yet Yes
Dominguez Alejandro IL 1990 2002 Not Yet Yes
Dotson Gary IL 1979 1989 Not Yet Yes
Durham Timothy OK 1993 1997 Not Yet Not Yet
Erby Lonnie MO 1986 2003 Yes Not Yet
Fain Charles Irvin ID 1983 2001 Not Yet Not Yet
Fritz Dennis OK 1988 1999 Yes Yes
Fuller Larry TX 1981 2007 Not Yet Yes
Gates Donald Eugene DC 1982 2009 Not Yet Not Yet
Gonzalez Kathy NE 1990 2009 Yes Yes
Good Donald Wayne TX 1984 2004 Not Yet Yes
Gray Paula IL 1978 2002 Yes Yes
Green Michael OH 1988 2001 Yes Yes
Gregory William KY 1993 2000 Not Yet Yes
Halstead Dennis NY 1987 2005 Not Yet Not Yet
Harris William O'Dell WV 1987 1995 Not Yet Yes
Harrison Clarence GA 1987 2004 Not Yet Yes
Hatchett Nathaniel MI 1998 2008 Not Yet Not Yet
Heins Chad FL 1996 2007 Not Yet Not Yet
Hicks Anthony WI 1991 1997 Not Yet Yes
Holland Dana IL 1993 2003 Yes Yes
Honaker Edward VA 1985 1994 Not Yet Yes
Jackson Willie LA 1989 2006 Yes Not Yet
Jimerson Verneal IL 1985 1996 Yes Yes
Johnson Calvin GA 1983 1999 Not Yet Yes
Jones Ronald IL 1989 1999 Not Yet Yes
Kogut John NY 1986 2005 Not Yet Not Yet
Kordonowy Paul D. MT 1990 2003 Not Yet Not Yet
Krone Ray AZ 1992 2002 Yes Yes
Laughman Barry PA 1988 2004 Not Yet Yes
Lavernia Carlos TX 1985 2000 Not Yet Yes
Linscott Steven IL 1982 1992 Not Yet Yes
Lowery Eddie James KS 1982 2003 Yes Yes
McCarty Curtis OK 1986, 1989 2007 Not Yet Not Yet
McCray Antron NY 1990 2002 Yes Not Yet
Miller Neil MA 1990 2000 Yes Yes
Miller Robert OK 1988 1998 Yes Not Yet
Mitchell Perry SC 1984 1998 Not Yet Not Yet
Mitchell Marvin MA 1990 1997 Not Yet Yes
Moon Brandon TX 1988 2005 Not Yet Not Yet
O'Donnell James NY 1998 2000 Not Yet Yes
Ochoa James CA 2005 2006 Yes Yes
Odom Kirk DC 1981 2012 Yes Not Yet
Ollins Larry IL 1988 2001 Yes Yes
Ollins Calvin IL 1988 2001 Yes Yes
Pendleton Marlon IL 1996 2006 Not Yet Not Yet
Peterson Larry NJ 1989 2006 Not Yet Yes
Pierce Jeffrey OK 1986 2001 Yes Yes
Pope David Shawn TX 1986 2001 Yes Yes
Rainge Willie IL 1979 1996 Yes Yes
Restivo John NY 1987 2005 Not Yet Not Yet
Reynolds Donald IL 1988 1997 Not Yet Yes
Richardson Kevin NY 1990 2002 Yes Not Yet
Richardson James WV 1989 1999 Not Yet Yes
Robinson Anthony TX 1987 2000 Not Yet Yes
Rodriguez George TX 1987 2005 Not Yet Not Yet
Rollins Lafonso IL 1994 2004 Not Yet Yes
Rose Peter CA 1996 2005 Not Yet Yes
Saecker Fredric WI 1990 1996 Not Yet Yes
Salaam Yusef NY 1990 2002 Yes Not Yet
Santana Raymond NY 1990 2002 Yes Not Yet
Saunders Omar IL 1988 2001 Yes Yes
Scott Calvin Lee OK 1983 2003 Yes Yes
Shelden Debra NE 1989 2009 Yes Not Yet
Stinson Robert Lee WI 1985 2009 Yes Yes
Sutton Josiah TX 1999 2004 Yes Yes
Taylor Ronald Gene TX 1995 2008 Yes Yes
Taylor Ada JoAnn NE 1990 2009 Yes Not Yet
Tillman James CT 1989 2006 Yes Yes
Tribble Santae DC 1980 2012
Vasquez David VA 1985 1989 Yes Yes
Velasquez Eduardo MA 1988 2001 Not Yet Yes
Waller James TX 1983 2007 Not Yet Yes
Wardell Billy IL 1988 1997 Not Yet Yes
Washington Earl VA 1984 2000 Yes Yes
Washington Calvin TX 1987 2001 Yes Yes
Watkins Jerry IN 1986 2000 Yes Yes
Webb Troy VA 1989 1996 Not Yet Yes
Webb Thomas OK 1983 1996 Not Yet Not Yet
Webster Bernard MD 1983 2002 Yes Yes
White John Jerome GA 1980 2007 Yes Yes
White Joseph NE 1989 2008 Yes Yes
Whitley Drew PA 1989 2006 Not Yet Not Yet
Williams Dennis IL 1978 1996 Yes Yes
Williams Willie GA 1985 2007 Yes Yes
Williamson Ron OK 1988 1999 Yes Yes
Willis John IL 1992, 1993 1999 Yes Yes
Winslow Thomas NE 1990 2009 Yes Yes
Wise Korey NY 1990 2002 Yes Not Yet
Woodall Glen WV 1987 1992 Yes Yes
Woods Anthony D. MO 1984 2005 Not Yet Yes

For a properly formatted table, see:
http://www.innocenceproject.org/know/Search-Profiles.php?check=check&title=&yearConviction=&yearExoneration=&jurisdiction=&cause=Unvalidated+or+Improper+Forensic+Science&perpetrator=&compensation=&conviction=&x=15&y=4

@dub, I believe they took saliva and cheek cells.

@Tolstoy, what does that tell us?

"what does that tell us?"

Perhaps it tells us that there are no certainties in life... or the criminal justice 'system'.

Who ever claimed there are certainties in life?

(By the way, Tolstoy, I just had a look at this list, and I'm no expert at all in this area, but am I mistaken when I say I see a lot of states that have a reputation for desperately wanting to be "tough on crime"?)

You did, when you suggested that everyone should 'donate' their DNA to their countries' police database to resolve unsolved crimes.

I suggest you watch the movie GATTACA before making another post in this thread.

I am completely opposed to this idea, and rather horrified by the (common) response of "I haven't got anything to hide, so why not?" Governments are made up of fallible men. There is no silver bullet evidence. Such a DNA database is simply too much knowledge for any institution to have that I wouldn't trust with total power. Since the list of institutions I would trust with total power is empty, I oppose it (much as I oppose having cameras everywhere, or making everybody carry a tracking device).

@Tolstoy, hold the phone a second.
1. Where did I suggest that? Didn't I ask everyone's opinion? And I just said I'd volunteer mine and I believe "volunteer" was one of the keywords in this story (the people in Vaatstra's neighborhood voluntarily joined in this thing.
2. I watched GATTACA, it was a long time ago, but I loved it.

@semck83, alright.

(It should be noted that Europeans generally have less problems with the existence of their government and what it does, few Europeans (beside myself) will support small-government crusades just for the sake of small government). In this case, I'd set a very high standard for the protection of the data, and I'd definitely put a military and a police base next to the computer that stores this data (no joke).

I agree with semck83 above. I think we should be very reluctant in entrusting and empowering the government with our personal data. They don't use that information always for good. They will be tempted to use it for other purposes as well. Besides, they are not capable to protect such a database properly against hackers. It's way too dangerous.

@Tolstoy, I'd like to point out, the list you posted, the conviction dates appear to all be 1990 and before. DNA tests have come a long way since then.

Plus the list doesn't define whether the error was actually related to DNA testing, or some other area of forensics. It's not specifically a list of DNA test miscarriages.