Foreword
In the late nineteenth century, fingerprinting revolutionized crimefighting. Now, over a century later, DNA evidence is expanding the scope of forensic investigation and playing an increasingly important role in our criminal justice system. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) contains the chemical building blocks that make each person unique, allowing scientists to make definitive determinations about someone’s identity. The latest technology can create an individual profile based on skin tissue, blood, bone, a single strand of hair, or other genetic sample. For example, a DNA analysis of saliva from an envelope flap sealed the case against the suspect in the World Trade Center…
