Shandee’s Story: Qld lab may be centre of ‘biggest forensic disaster in the country’s history’

Palaszczuk under mounting pressure over major failures in a government-run laboratory that could affect ‘many hundreds’ of criminal cases | New episode

Hair samples are taken from former boyfriend John Peros.

One of Australia’s most respected forensic scientists says major failures in a government-run laboratory could become the biggest forensic disaster in the country’s history.

Dr Kirsty Wright’s comments on national television on Saturday significantly increase the pressure on Queensland’s Palaszczuk government to order an inquiry into the forensics laboratory’s litany of errors and problems in the Shandee Blackburn murder investigation.

The problems went across the whole DNA profiling process and appeared to be systemic, Dr Wright said.

“There could be many hundreds of cases that have been affected by this,” she told Nine’s Weekend Today show.

NEW EPISODE: Shandee’s Story

“And I don’t say this lightly - I think this has the potential to be the biggest forensic disaster in Australia’s history.

“But we need to get to the bottom of what was happening inside that lab in 2013.

“So that’s why we need a public inquiry because I don’t believe the police and the courts can trust any of the DNA results coming out of this lab until there is a public inquiry. The truth has to be told.”

The Palaszczuk government is facing mounting pressure.

Health Minister’s response ‘a disgrace’

The family of Ms Blackburn has slammed as a “disgrace” Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath’s refusal to call an inquiry into the state’s forensics laboratory, or to order immediate retesting of evidence in the unsolved case.

Ms D’Ath sought to claim on Friday that there was nothing to investigate in the laboratory she oversees because a coroner had examined forensics evidence as part of an inquest into Shandee’s death.

“There hasn’t been any evidence brought forward about any failings in relation to the forensic unit, other than the allegations specifically in relation to this case,” Ms D’Ath said.

“On this matter there has been a complete coronial inquest in which the coroner did not make any findings about any failings with the forensic unit.”

Lawyer Kristy Bell, who represented Shandee’s family at the inquest, said the reliability of forensic evidence was never identified as an issue for the coroner “because no one knew it was a problem”.

It was very difficult for a coroner, lawyer, police officer or anyone else to identify issues in the ­absence of an alternative expert opinion, Ms Bell said.

“We didn’t have this knowledge then. We rely upon the opinion of the experts by virtue of their qualifications.”

One of Australia’s most ­respected forensic scientists, ­Kirsty Wright, has warned the integrity of the state’s criminal justice system is at risk from ­serious forensics failures ­detected in the lab in the Shandee investigation.

Dr Wright uncovered a catalogue of major errors and problems while reviewing hundreds of pages of documents from the police investigation and court proceedings for the Shandee’s Story investigative podcast ­series, which is examining her stabbing murder in ­Mackay in February 2013.

The state opposition has come out in strong support of calls by Shandee’s family and Dr Wright for urgent retesting of forensics evidence in a separate facility, and an investigation into the Queensland lab.

“This government-run forensic laboratory must be investigated as a matter of urgency,” opposition police spokesman Dale Last told The Weekend Australian. “No family should have to suffer after losing a loved one in such devastating circumstances due to the failings of an agency that is charged with investigating such crimes.

“Tragically, this lab has failed Shandee Blackburn and her family. Queenslanders must have confidence in our investigative systems. We cannot allow it to fail any more Queensland families.”

Shandee’s mother, Vicki, said Ms D’Ath’s response was so poor she had to question if she was being badly briefed.

“That’s just not good enough. This is nothing to do with the coroner,” Ms Blackburn said. “This is to do with the laboratory being ­inefficient, ineffective, inept. And it’s not just Shandee’s case. I don’t think she understands what’s going on.”

Shandee’s sister, Shannah, said: “It’s disgraceful. As Health Minister, why isn’t it your first ­priority to get that evidence ­retested?”

Asked at a media conference what message the government had for the family of Shandee, 23, Ms D’Ath said: “There has been a full coronial inquest on this.

“I appreciate that not everyone is satisfied with findings from coronial inquests, but there has been a coronial inquest in which there’s findings that have been made.”

The Blackburn family has frequently spoken publicly about their satisfaction with central coroner David O’Connell’s inquest, the one part of the justice system they feel did not let them down.

Mr O’Connell last year found Shandee was killed by her former boyfriend, amateur boxer John Peros, but did not find fresh and compelling evidence required to charge him again under double jeopardy laws. A jury acquitted Mr Peros of murder in 2017 in less than two hours. He denies any involvement.

In the latest developments to emerge from the series, it can be revealed the DNA of two people was found under one of Shandee’s fingernails.

Shandee was one of the contributors – the other could be her killer, but the lab was unable to identify who the person was.

Dr Wright found in the police running log an entry written by Detective Sergeant Scott Furlong from the homicide investigation unit. It said he had received an email from a senior laboratory manager, who told him “that ­bacteria may have an effect on the ability to obtain a DNA profile”.

Dr Wright said it was almost an impossibility for bacteria to prevent DNA profiles from being ­obtained from a body recovered straight away. “This explanation about bacteria is ludicrous. This indicates to me that there’s something going on that they don’t want the police to know about,” she said.

She is calling for forensics ­experts who know what was happening in the Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services lab to come forward. “DNA evidence is trusted by police and courts all across the country,” Dr Wright said. “If there’s one laboratory that isn’t performing its role the way that it should, it could ­affect the reputation and the ­reliability of the use of DNA in thousands of cases.

“So we have to get to the bottom of this issue. We have to know what was happening inside that laboratory in 2013. I think it’s important that the truth comes out.”

Shandee’s Story is an investigation by national chief correspondent Hedley Thomas. Episodes 7, 8 and 9 were released to subscribers of The Australian this week.