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News

 

August 8, 2007:

Summary of Recommendations of the Independent Investigator for the HPD Crime Lab and Property Room. 

Click to read the Summary.

 

June 13, 2007:

Final Report of the Independent Investigator for the Houston Police Department Crime Laboratory and Property Room. 

Click to read the Report.

 

May 11, 2006:

The Office of the Independent Investigator issued the Fifth Report of the Independent  Investigator for the Houston Police Department Crime Laboratory and Property Room

Click to read the Press Release or the Report

 

January 4, 2006:

The Office of the Independent Investigator issued the Fourth Report of the Independent  Investigator for the Houston Police Department Crime Laboratory and Property Room

Click to read the Press Release or the Report

   
July 6, 2005:

The Office of the Independent Investigator issued the Phase II Plan of the Independent Investigator for the HPD Crime Lab and Property Room

Click to read the Phase II Plan. 

   
June 30, 2005:

The Office of the Independent Investigator issued the Third Report of the Independent Investigator for the Houston Police Department Crime Laboratory and Property Room. 

Click to read the Press Release or the Report

   
May 31, 2005:

The Office of the Independent Investigator issued the Second Report of the Independent  Investigator for the Houston Police Department Crime Laboratory and Property Room. 

Click to read the Press Release or the Report

   

Background of the Investigation

The public crisis that eventually led to the hiring of an independent investigator to review the Crime Lab’s operations began on November 11, 2002, with the first in a series of investigative news reports that aired on KHOU‑Channel 11, a local Houston television station.  These television news reports, which were reported to be the product of a three‑month investigation performed by KHOU in consultation with outside forensics scientists, severely criticized the forensic analysis performed by the DNA/Serology Section of the Crime Lab in a number of specific cases.

Within a month of the airing of the first of these news reports, Acting Chief of Police Timothy Oettmeier commissioned an outside review of the Crime Lab’s DNA/Serology Section.  Representatives from the Texas Department of Public Safety (“DPS”) Crime Lab Headquarters and the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office performed an audit of the Crime Lab’s DNA/Serology section over the course of two days, December 12 and 13, 2002.  On December 18, 2002, based on the preliminary oral report of the auditors prior to the issuance of their final audit report, HPD suspended the performance of all DNA analysis by the Crime Lab.  The final report documenting the audit’s findings was issued on January 10, 2003.  DNA work by the Crime Lab has remained continuously suspended to this day, although HPD is hoping to re‑open the DNA Section by the end of this calendar year.  Read more ...

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Links

 

Houston Police Department - http://www.houstontx.gov/police/

 

American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors / Laboratory Accreditation Board - http://www.ascld-lab.org/dual/aslabdualaboutascldlab.html

 

National Forensic Science Technology Center - http://www.nfstc.org/aboutus.htm

 

The Innocence Project - http://www.innocenceproject.org/

 

 

 

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