PhoenixDNAevidenceunderfire:Possiblecontaminationmayhurtcases. bySusanCarroll TheArizonaRepublic Mar.8,200312:00AM DefenseattorneysarepreparingtochallengeDNAevidenceincriminalcasesbased onreportsofcontaminationinaPhoenixPoliceDepartmentevidencehandling room. Whilepolicereportedmorethan50incidentsduringthepastyearinaroomusedto drybloodyevidence,officialscontendthere'snoproofthattheconditions compromisedcases. AnOctoberemailfromtheroom'ssupervisorthatwarnedthecontaminationcould "seriouslyimpact"caseswasobtainedbylocaldefenseattorneys,whoplantouseit asabasistoquestionbloodevidenceincourtandpossiblyappealmurdercases. "Itwillaffectalotofcases,anditwillputthePhoenixcrimelabunderthe microscope,"saidNickHentoff,alocaldefenseattorney.

"It'sgoingtocreatealotof havocinthecriminaljusticesystem,aswellitshould." SusanNarveson,directorofthePhoenixcrimelab,saidthelikelihoodthatDNA evidencefromonecaseinadvertentlycontaminatedevidencefromanothercaseis "extremelylow." Themajorityofthecontaminationincidentsinvolve"redbrownspecks"orother "positiveindicationsofblood."Theinspectorsalsoconsideredhair,water,dirtand bugsascontaminants. "Theyareallissuesdealingwiththefacilityitself,"saidSgt.RandyForce,apolice spokesman."Thereisnoevidencethatanyevidenceitempassingthroughour dryingroomwascontaminatedwhileitwasthere." Officialsacknowledgethatthepossibilitycan'tbeignored.Inspectorswhofound contaminationwereonlylookingatthefacility,notcheckingforpossiblecross contamination. "EventhoughIthinkwe'vetakeneverypossiblesteptopreventcontamination, underthecurrentcircumstances,Ican'tsaywith100percentcertaintythatthere hasn'tbeenanycrosscontamination,"Narvesonsaid."That'stheconcern;it'sthe unknown." Defenseattorneysarecallingforanauditofpolicerecordstopindownwhatcases couldbeaffected.Themajorityoftheproblemswerereportedin2002fromMarch toOctober."Deathpenaltycasesandhomicidecasesturnonthiskindofevidence," saidRobertBriney,directorofLegalDefendersofMaricopaCounty."Ifinfactthe

DNAistaintedinanyway,ifthereisafailuretoprotectthebloodevidence,that'sa bigdeal." JamesP.Cleary,anattorneywiththeMaricopaCountyLegalDefender'sOffice,met withcrimelabstaffthisweektoseeifthereportedcontaminationcouldaffecta caseinvolvingoneofhisclients,ShaunMills. MillsisaccusedoffatallyshootinganothermaninNovember2001,andacrucial pieceofevidenceinhisupcomingtrialisDNAfoundonagunholster. "It'stheonlyphysicalevidencetheyhave,"Clearysaid. Mills'DNA,andtheDNAofasmanyasthreeotherpeople,wasfoundonthesame itematthecrimescene.ThedifficultyininterpretingtheDNAtestswaspartofthe reasonClearywascheckingforpossiblecontamination,hesaid. "We'rejusttryingtofigureoutifmaybethereason(theDNAevidence)issowishy washyisbecauseit'scontaminated,"hesaid."Ithinkthestatehastoshowattrial thattheirresultswerereliable...thatthereisnolikelihoodofcontamination." Butbecausetheevidencewascollectedin2001,theremaybenowaytocross referenceevidencelogsforreportsofcontamination.Police"purge"dryingroom cleaninglogseachyear,officialssaid.WiththeO.J.Simpsontrial,thehandlingof DNAevidencecameunderintensescrutiny.Thepossibilityofincorrecthandlingof thebiologicalmarkershasbecomeanissueintrialsacrossthecountry,inpart becausethescienceofDNAissodifficulttorefute,expertssaid.Policeofficials recognizedthat,Narvesonsaid,andorderedtheinspectionofthedryingroomby thecrimelab. Tomonitorthelab,techniciansusedthehighlysensitiveKastleMeyertest,whichis usedbydetectivestofindbloodafterasuspecthascleanedupacrimescene.The testcandetecttracesofbloodsominutethattheywouldnotbevisibletothenaked eye. Theultrasensitivetestingsometimesturnsup"falsepositives"forblood,Narveson said,reactingtomaterialssuchasrustorbleachbuildup,bothofwhichwereboth foundinsomeofthebays.Sothereportsof"positiveindicatorsforblood"maybe overstated,sheadded. Policeandattorneysagreedthatitlikelywillbeuptojudgesandjuriestodecide howseriouslytotakethecontaminationreports. "We'regoingtohavesolidscienceonoursideandpoliciesandproceduresthat indicatewe'renotlackadaisical,"Forcesaid. Briney,directorofthelegaldefenders,saidanycontaminationcouldaffectthe state'sabilitytoprosecuteacasebutwillhavetobedecidedonacasebycasebasis. "Itisunfortunatethatthishappened,anditshowsalackofsomethingonthepartof thePhoenixpolice,"Brineysaid."Butwhatthebottomlineisremainstobeseen."