Case Explained: New DNA Forensic Center will allow counties to collaborate on criminal cases – Legal Perspective

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C (WCIV) — There will soon be a new tool to fight and solve crime across the Lowcountry, with the Tri-County Biological Science Center on Leeds Avenue building unveiled today.

The Tri-County name is important. The new DNA and Forensics center will allow law enforcement from Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties to collaborate on evidence in criminal cases.

The nearly 22-thousand square foot building will feature state-of-the-art DNA testing, officers say.

This project is impactful because it is the first regional collaboration effort on DNA testing in state history.

“The future of law enforcement in our area,” says Dorchester County Sheriff Sam Richardson.

“This will help speed up that process,” Charleston County Sheriff Carl Ritchie says when talking about the collaboration this building will foster. “Having a lab here, Tri-County partners will be able to share more information and compare notes to see if they experience the same type of issues in their jurisdictions.”

The facility is described as a state of the art forensic technology center that will make processing much quicker.

“We are able to control locally what happens with our forensic science cases,” says Ton Van Koughnett, forensic lab director for the Tri-County Biological Science Center. “You’re able to be here quickly, quicker turnaround time, we’re trying to alleviate that pressure on the system.”

Due to a strict certification process, however, the center is still two years away from opening.

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“Once we have that accreditation, we’re able to apply for CODIS access,” Van Kougnett said. “That’s the database that we use to search unknown samples against convicted offenders.”

That database is for convicted offenders, and for now, the new center won’t have what is called Forensic Genetic Genealogy. A tool used by private companies like Othram. It can pinpoint and ID individuals not in that CODIS database.

“You’re not bound by the condition that the person that you’re looking to identify must be in a database.” Colby Lasyone, chief of staff with Ortham says. “What you’re bound by is the fact that relationships, genetic relationships, are formed across generations.”

The center will be a huge help in reducing case backlogs related to DNA forensics, and genetic genealogy technology could be available in the future, officials say.

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“We won’t be doing that here, at least not to start, but that is an opportunity in the future,” Van Koughnett added. “We’re really designed to be a 30-year building, and with that comes all the different changes to technology. In my experience, DNA platforms have lasted anywhere from five to 10 years, but when that does run, and the next latest and greatest comes out, we’ll be there to try and bring that online as well.”

The 29-million-dollar facility came in under budget, according to Tri-County officials, and the collaborative aspect of the project will be something the rest of the state can look to model moving forward.