State Forensic Lab Marks Advances During National Forensic Science Week

A recent visit by James Tillman to the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) Forensic Laboratory in Meriden served as a stark reminder of just how far forensic science has come in recent decades, and how state-funded improvements to the lab have eradicated a backlog of cases and are helping to solve new crimes.

Tillman was falsely convicted on sexual assault and kidnapping charges in 1989 but was released from prison in 2006 with help from the Connecticut Innocence Project and after advanced DNA testing was conducted at the forensic lab.

“I lived a life unimaginable for some people,” Tillman told a gathering marking National Forensic Science Week at the state’s forensic lab in Meriden. “I always wanted to come here. This was on my bucket list to be here. This is where it all happened. I thank law enforcement for their job. I know things don’t go the way they are supposed to go all the time, but through science it makes it easier for them to get it right.”

State Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Ronnell A. Higgins said the lab’s advanced DNA testing proved Tillman could not have committed the crime for which he was wrongly convicted.

“I am renewed by our belief in the highest standards – and the best science – as we work every day to analyze evidence and provide the best investigative leads we can to our law enforcement officers,’ Higgins said.

The DESPP Forensic Science Laboratory is charged with:
· Examining physical evidence submitted by criminal case investigators
· Assisting state and local law enforcement agencies with criminal investigations and crime scene processing
· Providing forensic and technical training and education for law enforcement agencies and the community
· Conducting scientific and technical research

The laboratory is staffed with administrative and scientific personnel who handle various forensic disciplines like arson, biochemistry, chemistry, DNA, documents, firearms and toolmarks, fingerprints, image analysis, imprints, instrumentation, photography, reconstruction, and trace.

Perhaps most importantly, in the last 10 years, the forensic lab has cleared a backlog of 12,000 cases and reduced the case investigation time from two-and-a-half years to less than 60 days. The lab’s “Rapid DNA” program offers around-the-clock access for police investigations, utilizing forensic genealogy and DNA analysis to resolve long standing cold cases. Additionally, the lab recently achieved a perfect score on its accreditation.

In June 2023, the State Bond Commission approved another $1.5 million in renovations to the lab, and $1.2 million for a building load generator installation.

The DESPP Division of Scientific Services began its history as the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Identification, which operated from 1935 to 1975 in the Troop I Barracks in Bethany. The forensic services provided then by the troopers were limited to photography, fingerprints and firearms examination.

Posted by Lawrence Cook