Untested DNA samples to be probed by police taskforce

Thousands of unsolved Queensland crimes that could be solved with further DNA tests may be reinvestigated by a new police taskforce.

Police have set up a taskforce to investigate potentially thousands of unsolved crimes that had DNA samples that were not tested due to changes in lab testing thresholds.

The Courier-Mail understands the police taskforce could examine specific cases such as murders or rapes where it has been highlighted that further DNA testing could lead to an arrest.

The new taskforce comes as the state government is expected on Tuesday to be handed interim findings from former President of the Court of Appeal, retired judge Walter Sofronoff, on his DNA inquiry investigating potential failures at Queensland’s forensic crime lab.

The government announced the inquiry after issues relating to DNA procedures were raised in The Australian’s podcast Shandee’s Story, about the murder of Shandee Blackburn in Mackay in 2013.

John Peros with Shandee Blackburn. Peros was acquitted of Shandees murder in 2017. He maintains his innocence.

In a recent submission to the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce discussing experiences facing women in the justice system, the Queensland Police Service highlighted testing threshold changes to DNA sampling made in 2018.

It’s understood Mr Sofronoff’s inquiry has examined the threshold issue and the agreement made between Queensland Health and the police around that time.

Police in the women’s taskforce submission said the Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services (QHFSS) made a recommendation that testing of samples containing less than 0.008ng/uL of DNA should stop because the “chance of obtaining meaningful evidence was low”.

Police then agreed that further testing of samples with less than 0.008ng/uL should stop and not be routinely conducted, according to the submission.

Shandee Blackburn.

Police were told that the lab would state the sample was “insufficient DNA for further processing” and investigators would be given an option to request testing if they wished.

The service in 2021 monitored the rate of obtaining a usable profile when investigators requested sampling initially reported as “insufficient”, with a success rate of obtaining a profile of about 30 per cent.

Further testing of samples related to sex offences was higher.

Of the 583 sex offence samples initially reported as “insufficient DNA for further processing”, investigators requested tests continue for 47 samples.

Of these 31 samples, or 66 per cent, had a usable profile.

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman confirmed a police taskforce had now been set up to continue identifying and reviewing evidentiary samples for “additional DNA testing” with QFSS.

“The QPS is committed to working with the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing and looks forward to receiving its final report in due course,” the spokeswoman said.

The inquiry will also examine the handling of DNA testing relating to the murder of Ms Blackburn.

Originally published as Untested DNA samples to be probed by police taskforce