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TrueAllele helps resolve Texas double murder DNA case

This double murder Texas case highlights how Cybergenetics’ TrueAllele software helps case investigation

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Cybergenetics

PRESS RELEASE

PITTSBURGH — Cybergenetics’ TrueAllele analysis played a pivotal role in a landmark double murder Texas case. The case had been unsolved for years. But TrueAllele resolved complex crime scene DNA mixtures.

In 2010, Mary Goodman (41) and her daughter Brianna (16) were shot to death in their Beaumont, Texas home. Witnesses identified Joseph Colone as the shooter. Prosecutors said suspect Colone killed the mother because she was going to testify against him in a robbery case; the daughter just happened to be at home.
DNA mixtures were found on a glove and towel left at the crime scene. Different crime laboratories generated DNA data, each attempting mixture interpretation using other software. Colone was convicted in 2017, and sentenced to death.

In Colone’s 2022 appeal, issues arose with DNA analyst testimony, possible contamination, and evidence mishandling. In 2023, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office reached out to Cybergenetics for accurate TrueAllele reanalysis of the DNA data.

TrueAllele computation connected Colone to the glove and towel. The match statistics ranged from thousands to trillions. The defendant challenged the reliability of the DNA evidence. But in December 2023, during the Texas Daubert reliability hearing, Colone (45) pleaded guilty to the murders. He was sentenced to 30 years.

This double murder Texas case highlights how Cybergenetics’ TrueAllele software helps case investigation. TrueAllele delivers accurate and reliable DNA evidence analysis. The software helps law enforcement solve complex crimes and bring criminals to justice.

Learn more about Cybergenetics’ free screening and how their advanced DNA analysis solutions can benefit your forensic investigations, ongoing cases, and cold cases. Contact them via email at info@cybgen.com or visit Cybgen.com to request help. Their support team can help you solve your DNA cases.

About Cybergenetics

For over 25 years, Cybergenetics TrueAllele technology has helped interpret complex DNA evidence for law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Investigators use Cybergenetics DNA computing services to solve crimes. TrueAllele unmixes “impossible” DNA mixtures to get reliable answers. Our free screening can turn a lab’s “inconclusive” DNA data into informative results. Cybergenetics has processed over 1,200 cases and provides expert testimony. TrueAllele helps deliver just verdicts and guilty pleas.

TrueAllele interprets complex DNA evidence data. The computer handles “uninterpretable” mixtures, mixed DNA of relatives, and touch DNA that is low-level or degraded. TrueAllele can compare evidence with evidence, not just with reference samples. Cybergenetics innovated TrueAllele as the world’s first accurate probabilistic genotyping system. TrueAllele mixture separation has been validated on up to 10 unknown contributors. TrueAllele solves challenging DNA from cold cases, handguns, shell casings, and other complex evidence.