Orchid Cellmark’s Forensic DNA Testing Services Aid In Florida Exoneration 23 Years After a Wrongful Conviction
Orchid Cellmark Inc., a leading worldwide provider of identity DNA testing services, today announced that DNA analysis at one of the company’s forensic laboratories supported the work of the Innocence Project in securing the exoneration of Florida prisoner Orlando Bosquete. In an unusual case that involves a series of dramatic twists and turns within the U.S. criminal justice system, the efforts of Bosquete’s lawyers, aided by forensic DNA technology, culminated this week in his exoneration 23 years after he was wrongfully convicted of attempted sexual battery. The DNA analysis was part of a package of pro bono services supplied by Orchid Cellmark to the Innocence Project in New York as a public service.
Mr. Bosquete, an immigrant to the U.S. from Cuba, was arrested in 1982 and convicted for burglary and attempted sexual battery. He claimed his innocence from the beginning, but eyewitness misidentification contributed to his conviction. Sentenced to prison for 65 years, two years later Mr. Bosquete escaped and lived on the run for a decade until he was apprehended and returned to prison. In 2003, he filed a motion seeking DNA testing (which was not available when he was convicted in 1983) on semen stains on the victim’s clothing. The following year, a state judge granted the DNA testing request and the Innocence Project at the Cardozo School of Law, which frequently works with Orchid Cellmark, asked the company to conduct the analysis. Orchid Cellmark’s analyses in this case confirmed that the DNA from the rape crime- scene evidence did not match Mr. Bosquete’s DNA, and the Innocence Project used this evidence to help secure his exoneration.
“We are proud to play a role in righting a grave injustice in our criminal justice system,” said Mark Stolorow, executive director of forensic science at Orchid Cellmark Inc. Before joining Orchid Cellmark, Mr. Stolorow was involved in the first case in the U.S. to use DNA to reverse a conviction. “Using advances in forensic DNA analysis, Orchid Cellmark was able to use 23-year-old evidence to reverse a wrongful conviction in this case, so that after years of imprisonment for a crime he did not commit, Mr. Bosquete can rejoin society as a free man. We also take pride that in other recent cases we have been able to use decades-old DNA evidence to identify and convict criminals, including identifying a suspect in a 36-year-old child murder case and helping to identify a suspect in a rape case where it originally appeared that no semen was present. DNA is a powerful tool when coupled with appropriate expertise, and as this case demonstrates, we believe it is essential to preserve evidence for future examination as the capabilities of forensic DNA testing are expanded to help ensure our criminal justice system is as just as possible.”
Recently, Orchid Cellmark worked with the Innocence Project to help overturn the rape and murder conviction of Clarence Elkins in a case that initially had no obvious DNA evidence. The experts at Orchid Cellmark used a combination of detective work and advanced technology to find DNA in skin cells left behind where the perpetrator had touched the victim’s clothing. Orchid Cellmark has also provided forensic DNA analyses in such high profile cases as the JonBenet Ramsey murder, the Gary Ridgway “Green River” serial killer case, and the Unabomber investigation, which eventually resulted in the conviction of Ted Kaczynski.
For more information on the Orlando Bosquete case and the Innocence Project, please visit http://www.innocenceproject.org .
Orchid Cellmark is one of the oldest and most experienced providers of forensic DNA testing services and it has conducted DNA testing for the FBI and for criminal justice agencies in all 50 U.S. states and hundreds of municipalities, as well as for many law enforcement agencies in the U.K. Orchid Cellmark’s U.S.-based forensic laboratories have received the prestigious accreditation of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB). Orchid Cellmark’s U.S.-based laboratories are also accredited by the National Forensic Science Technology Center.
About Orchid Cellmark
Orchid Cellmark is a leading provider of identity DNA testing services for the human identity and agriculture markets. In the human identity area, the company provides DNA testing services for forensic, family relationship and security applications. In the agriculture field, Orchid Cellmark provides DNA testing services for selective trait breeding. Orchid Cellmark’s strong market positions in these segments reflect the company’s accredited laboratories in the U.S. and U.K., its innovative genetic analysis technologies and expertise, and the world-renowned Cellmark brand that has been associated with exceptional quality, reliability and customer service for nearly two decades. More information on Orchid Cellmark can be found at http://www.orchid.com .
