About 4,000 DNA samples will need to be retested after the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department realized it was using faulty tests for eight months.
The department announced the error in a news release issued on Wednesday evening. According to the department, the manufacturer of DNA test kits used by LASD sent out a notice last year, notifying clients that a recent batch of tests were “prone to intermittently poor performance with potential to cause incomplete results or profiles.”
Officials say the letter was forwarded to a person who had previously worked for the department’s Scientific Services Bureau, but no longer was employed by LASD. It recommended that the department stop using the kits that had been in rotation beginning in July, and that new ones would be provided.
That letter was dated Aug. 28, 2024. The faulty kits were used until February of this year.
This week, on Monday, a current employee of the Scientific Services Bureau became aware of the letter.
The department announced on Wednesday that it would open an investigation into the matter.
“We take the integrity of our criminal investigations and the reliability of our forensic testing very seriously,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “We are committed to thoroughly addressing this important issue, ensuring transparency, and taking immediate corrective action to protect the accuracy of ongoing and future cases. The Sheriff’s Department is working diligently to assess the impact and to prevent such situations from occurring again.”
According to the department, it’s not believed that the use of the faulty tests led to any individuals being falsely identified for crimes.
About 4,000 samples will be retested. Some samples are unable to be tested due to their limited sample size, LASD said.
The faulty tests have also affected other agencies, LASD said, including the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
“Upon learning of this issue concerning forensic testing on Monday, the District Attorney’s Office has immediately started working with the Sheriff’s Department to assess the scope of the situation in order to ensure that those involved in criminal justice process — defendants, defense counsel, victims, prosecutors, law enforcement, the courts and the public — are kept abreast of developments and in a position to make informed decisions on any actions that may need to take place,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.
“We will follow the facts in whichever direction they take us on any individual case and make decisions that are in full accordance with the law on how to remedy any particular situation that requires such remediation. Ensuring the integrity of the criminal justice process to build and maintain trust in its outcomes is paramount as we go forward.”
