Science Thursday

DNA has exonerated two DC men whose cases involved erroneous hair comparison analyses, Houston moves forward with a plan for an independent lab, and the US Army threatens to fire a whistleblower who revealed problems with its crime laboratory. Here is a roundup of this week’s news:

 

FBI hair comparison analysis

contributed to the wrongful convictions of two men

whose have been exonerated by DNA testing. Kirk Odom and Santae Tribble came forward after reading stories about the DNA exoneration of Donald Gates.

 

An Alabama woman and mother of two

may receive compensation

for her wrongful nine-month detainment on a capital murder charge due to an error in the autopsy of her newborn son.

 

The City of Houston’s plan to

build an independent crime lab

will include an oversight board consisting of five members: someone who understands the judicial system, someone with law enforcement experience, a criminal defense attorney, a forensics expert and someone with a finance background.

 

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory has warned a whistleblower of

its intentions to fire him

.