Please do not respond to this blog before the lesson on Tuesday (but please review the sources). We will be responding in-class as part of the class exercise:
Look at the following sources, formulate your own thesis based on the ideas presented in the sources, and offer some supported opinion: quotes, summary, paraphrasing. Cite the sources, even if you don't have page numbers (because one is an article, and another is a video), just so your reader will know which information came from which article. Please endeavor to be as scholarly as possible, and remain objective. Keep your responses short. The thesis should only be one or two sentences, but you'll still want to keep it in a separate paragraph from your (brief) evidence and analysis.
Boston Strangler AP article
Boston Strangler NBC News Story
DNA and Cold Cases
Feel free to skim the last source, the .gov Special Report, and settle on evidence that helps you support your claims about the first two sources. You can also use the Find function in order to look for information that might help you.
Reply: discuss with a classmate what pieces of evidence you found in the sources that might help them prove their points better.
Due to better analysis of DNA through science,
ReplyDeleteinvestigators unearthed Alberto DeSalvo,who
once admitted to the string of murders attributed to the Boston Strangler. Police claim they have a 99.9% match with a relatiive
and a nineteen year old victim murdered in 1964
though family relatives dipute the findings.
Under the previous Bush Administration, Attorney
General John Ashcroft had begun to reopen cold
cases because of the advancements in new technology.Even though the costs of reopenening cases may tax the current justice system, perhaps some guilty people will be proved innocent and the free perpetrators of crime may be found guilty and brought to justice.
Sources cited:
Associted Press 12 July 2013.
ABC News
U.S. Department of Justice-NIJ Report
You clearly stated what was going on during that time and you made relavant the sourcing of your information. In the article and recently i saw a great deal of cases being over turned because of DNA testing.
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ReplyDeleteToday’s technology in forensic science has set a new tone in the discovery of unsolved murders and heinous acts of some of the most highly profiled serial killers or predators known. Through technology the case of the,” Boston Strangler (Murphy) (htt),” and many of the cold cases are being solved.
ReplyDeleteTechnology and advances in discovering who committed what crime has been narrowed down to use of one’s blood and DNA. In using DNA advances for the identifications of remains left behind after those murders or acts of random violence has brought forth to justice many perpetrators who would have been otherwise still under radar without being detected. One cold case, “The Boston Strangler”, went unsolved for years until this new way of tracking down perpetrators emerged. This advance has served as a gavel for over turning many cases of individuals who were convicted and sentenced of crimes that they didn’t commit.
I feel like your paragraph doesn't present much evidence concerning the Sullivan/DeSalvo case. I love the way it flows though!
DeleteWhether proving someone’s guilt or innocence, DNA is now being used by the criminal justice system as a means of identifying victims and perpetrators. With new advances in DNA testing, accuracy has been improved and is helping to solve old cases.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Bridget Murphy in the article “Suspect's remains exhumed in Boston Strangler case”, police have exhumed the body of Albert DeSalvo to perform a new form of DNA testing. The police want to compare DeSalvo’s DNA with samples found at one of the murder victim’s crime scenes. This evidence has not been able to be tested before but with new advances in DNA, now the police can prove with 100% accuracy that Albert DeSalvo was connected to her murder. According to the report “Using DNA To Solve Cold Cases” from the U.S. Department of Justice, DNA testing has been used to prove the innocence of wrongly convicted people and has also been used to arrest and prosecute people when no other evidence was found ( 10).
Works Cited
Murphy, Bridget. "Suspect's remains exhumed in Boston Strangler case." 12 July 2013. Associated Press. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BOSTON_STRANGLER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-07-12-20-24-35. 16 July 2013.
NIJ. "Using DNA to Solve Cold Cases." 2002. NIJ Special Report.
Adam,
DeleteI believe that your thesis paragraph gave an adamant amount of information for the audience to understand what you are addressing to.
The second exhumation of the DeSalvo body makes sense, and is warranted because of the great jumps in DNA technology since the last time the DNA connections were tested.
ReplyDeleteIn 1999, testing was done with evidence found on Mary Sullivan to try to connect DeSalvo to her murder. According to NBC news (NBC), it did not. With many new advances in technology surrounding DNA testing since the 1999 test, re-exhuming Albert DeSalvo's body makes sense, and might even be a natural "next move." According to Dan Conely, a Suffolk District Attorney, the results of the cross-referencing DNA found on Sullivan, and DNA obtained from a decedent of DeSalvo's are "unprecedented in the history of this case" (NBC). The body of DeSalvo was exhumed on July 12, 2013 (Murphy). The DeSalvo family conducted private testing that appeared to be questionable at best, and they still believe that "there still will be reasonable doubt that DeSalvo killed Sullivan, even if additional DNA tests show a 100 percent match"(Murphy). Whether or not the DeSalvo family believes it, once the results show up, it will bring the Sullivan family one step closer to closure concerning the loss of Mary.
Brianna,
DeleteIn that second paragraph you may want to cite the first source and take out the source in the second where you already state where you received the data. In the second sentence you may want to expand a bit more as well, saying what "it" is and why he isnt the murderer. At the end you could cite where it state's there is another male's specimen that was found on Mary Sullivan (weakening the case against Desalvo).
Other than that I feel like you did well, congrats!
The advancement in science has been beneficial to the success of acquitting the innocent and closing cold case files such as the Boston Strangler case from the extraction of DNA, by comparing DNA in the national database called CODIS to prosecute criminals associated with the crime. DNA can be successful to “identify suspects, convict the guilty, and exonerate the innocent.” (Ashcroft et. al. 7) However it is important that DNA is only part of the equation to receive a verdict. The NBC news cast announced a new discovery from DNA which linked the Boston Strangler in the murder of a young woman, Mary Sullivan, by using new techniques to extract DNA that was not available in the 70s. (NBC News) DNA can be in varying forms and does not necessarily mean immediate guilt, which they imply in the broadcast of the cover story of the Boston Strangler.
ReplyDeleteDNA can solve a case when there are no witnesses to identify anyone or relive people of being wrongly convicted.
ReplyDeleteSullivan's nephew, Casey Sherman, spent part of his life believing in DE Salvo’s innocence. (MURPHY, 2013) (MURPHY, 2013)
DNA evidence can
Identify suspects, convict the guilty, and
Exonerate the innocent. (using DNA to solve cold cases, 2002)
In the article by murphy, Sullivan’s nephew believed DE Salvo was not his aunt’s killer. He believed a lie his whole life and DNA helped give him peace knowing who killed his aunt.
I believe the article by (using DNA to solve cold cases, 2002) fits into my theory because they state how DNA will help the state relieve, find, or convict their criminal.
Thesis not bad and you have the citations down in the paragraph. One thing to remember, when citing in a paragraph, you only need to cite the same author once. That way your not doing too much work.
ReplyDeleteYou were successful by clarifying why DNA was important in the Boston Strangler by bringing the attention to the era the crimes were committed.
ReplyDeleteOver the years forensic technology has greatly advanced, specifically through DNA testing. Though making an accurate connection may not have been possible in the 60's, it is easily possible now, such as with the Boston Strangler case.
ReplyDeleteAlbert Desalvo admitted to being the Boston Strangler while he was in jail, though he later recanted. Once he died, there were no more answers. Through new DNA technology, there is a much better chance of connecting him to the murder of Mary Sullivan, one of the Boston Strangler's victims. DNA testing could lead to many cold cases like this being solved.
Works Cited
Murphy, Bridget. Associated Press.July 12 2013.
Video, NBC News.DNA Evidence Links Desalvo to Boston Strangler murders. July 12 2013.
Officials are using a new form of DNA testing to bring clarification to the convicted and victimized. The use of modern technology has taken a new route to help improve the justice system and closing cold cases.
ReplyDeleteNew DNA technology is making it possible to solve previously unsolvable cases. After dying in 1973 and admitting to the murder and rape of 11 women in the Boston area, investigators exhumerated the body of Albert DeSalvo (AP). Doing so enables further investigation and DNA testing on the 50 year old body to close the case on the "Boston Strangler" of the 1960s. The technology used prior to conclude the case was found inadequate and possibly false, but advancements in DNA testing and the success of DNA database systems have inspired law enforcement agencies throughout the country to reevaluate cases previously thought unsolvable (ncjrs 2). This advancement shows that with time things can get better and questions left unanswered can be resloved. The progress in our equipment and technology in DNA and forensics make it possible to solve cold cases.
Cold cases, such as The Boston Strangler, are being reopened and solved through DNA analysis. DNA found on victims matching the DNA of the accused offender is closing cases.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Bridget Murphy of associated press, DNA found on the body of Mary Sullivan matched the DNA of Albert Desalvo’s. The matching of DNA closed the case and changed the mind of those believing in the innocents of Desalvo’s. Every State in the Nation has a statutory provision for the establishment of a DNA database that allows for the collection of DNA profiles from offenders convicted of particular crimes. CODIS software enables State local, and national law enforcement crime laboratories to compare DNA profiles electronically, thereby linking serial crimes to each other and identifying suspects by matching DNA profiles from crime scenes with profiles from convicted offenders. U.s Department of Justice Pg. 9
The advancement of DNA analysis technology has allowed law enforcement to continue pursuit of cold case files. This is a positive for victims and their families and also the wrongfully convicted.
ReplyDeleteDating back to 1962 a series of slayings in Boston leading to the death of Mary Sullivan and the title of the believed serial killer The Boston Strangler. In the case of Sullivan’s nephew, he spent a portion of his life believing in DeSalvo’s innocence, but after the new evidence showing a 99.99% match, he now has closure to a void in his life. The testimony of a witness can change over time becoming uncorroborated, yet DNA stays truthful over time (ncjrs.org p.5)
.
Works Cited
Murphy, Bridget. "Suspect's remains exhumed in Boston Strangler case." 12 July 2013. Associated Press. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BOSTON_STRANGLER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-07-12-20-24-35. 16 July 2013.
NIJ. "Using DNA to Solve Cold Cases." 2002. NIJ Special Report.
Fine job bro! I think you covered it rather well. I don't see anything you would have to elaborate on.
DeleteThe Boston strangler case is one step further along in identifying the killer. Through modern techniques in DNA testing, the police feel confident about the controversial idea of exhuming Desalvo's body.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Katy Tur in Briam Williams news report, Desalvo confessed to the crime, but the state could not convict him. That report expresses that police tried in 1999 to use DNA to confirm the connection between Desalvo and Sullivan, but the evidence was inaccurate. Now through modern techniques the police are "99.9 percent positive" (NBC) about the testing, allowing them to exhume the body for further analysis. However, the NIJ report under "Degraded evidence" (Department of Justice 13), bacterial corrosion can influence the accuracy of a DNA test. The city of Boston has been without answers to this case for fifty years, and with the certainty of the police's proof, Exhuming the body is a reasonable conclusion.
Works Cited
News. NBC. DNA Evidence links DeSalvo To Boston
Strangler murders. 12 July 2013. 16 July 2013.
United States. Department of Justice. "NIJ Special Report: Using DNA to Solve Cold Cases". U.S. Department of Education. Office of Justice Programs. Web. July 2002.
DNA testing can be vital for identifying suspects, clearing the wrongfully accused and convicting persons involved in cold cases. Through new advancements in the CODIS system cases that have previously gone unsolved, such as the Boston Strangler cases, can now have a chance to be resolved.
ReplyDeleteThe Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is a national database created from evidence gathered from crime scenes for the possibility of linking it to other cases or suspects from other crimes. In the Boston Strangler cases, crimes from 1962 to 1964, Albert DeSalvo admitted to the crimes and then recanted. Recently DeSalvo’s body was exhumed to gather DNA to compare to DNA recovered in the murder of Mary Sullivan. If the DNA is a hundred percent match then at least can be solved for the benefit of family members. The 1990 attacks on elderly victims in North Carolina DNA was collected and matched to the perpetrator in a different crime. Though confessions and other evidence is needed to convict, the use of DNA can help law enforcement find leads and suspects.
United States Department of Justice. United States Department of Justice. Using DNA to Solve Cold Cases. Washington: PhotoDisc, 2002. Web. .
Murphy, Bridget. "Supect's Remains Exhumed In Boston Stranger Case." Associated Press 12 07 2013, n. pag. Web. 16 Jul. 2013. .
I think everything you wrote flows well, and you definitely back up what you're claiming with evidence. I didn't have any trouble getting the point.
DeleteThroughout time, Technology has seemed to advance and improve for Forensic Science. DNA Analysis has progressed to give closure to families and to convict criminals. This powerful tool and other forensic tools are being used by all law enforcement agencies to successfully solve cold cases and motivate the usage of other technologies to efficiently solve other cases as well.
ReplyDeleteOne particular tool, a database named National DNA Index System (NDIS) linked a deceased man named Leon Dundas’ DNA to the national forensic index to solve unsolved rape cases. FBI officials were able to solve additional unsolved rapes committed in Washington and Jacksonville, Florida. The officials believed without DNA, Dundas would not have been convicted because of his non-violent criminal history. (Ncjrs.org, Pg. 7)
Many of the DNA databases are tiered at state, federal, and national levels to eliminate all protocols if law enforcement cannot identify a perpetrator or victim’s DNA.
However, between 1962- 1964 Albert DeSalvo confessed to the slayings known as the Boston Strangler Case to 11 women but recanted in 1973. Currently, DeSalvo ‘s body was exhumed to solve the case of Mary Sullivan, the last victim of the case. Many speculators are wondering if today’s technology will give the family of both parties closure or this infamous cold case will prolong forever.
Works Cited
United States. U.S department of Justice. Using DNA to Solve Cases, 2002.(7) Print
Murphy. Associated Press. Suspect’s remains exhumed in Boston Strangler Case 2013
DNA needs a smart, driven investigator to complete the case. However, DNA research is progressing so the government is looking back at cold cases. DNA gives answers to difficult crimes to find evidence to complete justice. DNA has been uses for different type of cold cases.
ReplyDeleteDNA is a powerful tool that the justice has been using since 1989.The DNA will not accomplish the justice without clever investigator that know which area need to tested such as, the crime in Austin, Texas, when the investigator found out that the suspect had used his mouth to hold the end of the cord the complete his crime(US Department of Justice 4). DNA is the answer for different type of crime like rape and murder that were cold cases such as the Boston strangler case when Albert DeSalvo was “unearthed” to connect him to the crimes they assumed he committed . However, in the Strangler case, the DNA was not 100% proved positive that he killed Mary Sullivan (Murphy).
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DeleteRania, I looked over my reply to your work to make sure I wasn't giving faulty advice, and there are some contradictory statements. With the NIJ report, your citation is correct and mine is incorrect, because the the first words in the work cited model are United States. So I cited (Department of Justice 13), when it should read (United States. Dept. of Justice 13). But I like your version of "(US Department of Justice 4)." Ok, sorry to be such a nerd, just trying to work out what's up. Bye
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