'DNA Bungle' Haunts German Police
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Transcript of 'DNA Bungle' Haunts German Police
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'DNAbungle'hauntsGermanpolice
PoliceinGermanyhaveadmittedthatawomantheyhavebeenhuntingformorethan15yearsneverinfactexisted.
Dubbedthe"phantomofHeilbronn",thewomanwasdescribedbypoliceasthecountry'smostdangerouswoman.
InvestigatorshadconnectedhertosixmurdersandanunsolveddeathbasedonDNAtracesfoundatthescene.
PolicenowacknowledgeswabsusedtocollectDNAsampleswerecontaminatedbyaninnocentwomanworkinginafactoryinBavaria.
'Serialkiller'
Policesuspectedtheunnamedwomanofbeingaserialkillerwhoover16yearscarriedoutastringofsixmurders,includingstranglingapensioner.
ThepuzzleofthephantomkillerhasbeensolvedVolkerLinkProsecutorinHeilbronn
Shewasalternativelycalledthe"womanwithoutaface"andthe"phantomofHeilbronn"afterthecityinsouthernGermanywheresheallegedlykilledapolicewoman.
PolicesuspicionswerebasedontracesofidenticalfemaleDNAtheyfoundat40crimescenesacrosssouthernGermanyandAustria.
AfterfindingherDNAatthesceneofthemurderofa22yearpolicewomanfromHeilbronnin2007,policeoffereda300,000eurorewardforinformationleadingtoherarrest.
However,policedidnotcomeanyclosertoidentifyingtheirmostsoughtsuspect.
Firstdoubts
AccordingtoprosecutorsinthesouthwesterntownofSaarbruecken,doubtsabouttheexistenceofthe"phantomkiller"wereraisedwhenherDNAappearedondocumentsbelongingtoapersonwhohaddiedinafire.
Whenpolicefirsttriedtoidentifythevictim,theyfoundthephantom'sDNAonthedeadperson'sID.Butinasubsequenttest,notraceofthephantom'sDNAcouldbefoundonthedocument.
ThatwasthepointatwhichalarmbellsstartedringingandinvestigatorsbegantosuspectthatthetestmaterialitselfmayhavebeencontaminatedwithDNA,prosecutorssay.
NowithasbeendeterminedthatthecottonswabsusedtocollectDNAhadbeencontaminatedaccidentlybyawomanworkingatanunidentifiedfactoryinBavaria.
"Thepuzzleofthephantomkillerhasbeensolved,"saidVolkerLink,aprosecutorinHeilbronn.
Onecompanymakingswabssaidtheywerenotintendedforanalytical,butonlymedicaluse,whileanothersaidthattherehadbeennorequirementfortheswabstobefreeofDNA.
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StoryfromBBCNEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr//2/hi/europe/7966641.stm
Published:2009/03/2802:59:03GMT
BBC2015
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