Comments on: Girl Scout cold case gets underway

By: silwyf

silwyf — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:15:11 +0000

I lived in nashville in 1975, and read all the newspapers daily about this murder. Eventually, after college, I bought a home in that same neighborhood in 1982. It is not an affuent neighborhood, but is medium income, In 1982, a single black person would not have stood out in the neighborhood because of domestic help and landscapers. The people living in that neighborhood were young professionals and retirees.

I also remember the police hounding some young man who was a minor at the time of death for many years. They were sure he had committed the crime. I would like to hear about how he feels with this conviction.

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:02:59 +0000

BTW – In all of the anals of DNA history no two people have EVER been found to have identical DNA. The 99.99% is a mathmatical figure used to account for the possibility that at some point somewhere in history two people could have had the exact same DNA or that certain markers are common in a large percent of the population. Many times the odds are figured at 1 in 7billion based on those markers because you can exclude all sorts of nationalities and races. In some cases it's 1 in 1 billion because certain markers are somewhat common or mixed. In general DNA from someone of European decent is less distinquishable due to the vast # of people falling under that group, thus the ratio is lowered. In this day and age they can trace DNA back to their origins of certain tribes in Africa so to discount the science involved is just plain stupid.

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:52:14 +0000

I guess nobody on here ever watches Forensic Files? (great show) DNA is even more unique than fingerprints. Even identical twins actually have differences in their DNA, I'm not sure how but I've seen this mentioned by a DNA expert at least twice. So does he have an identical twin? NO! Also they've collected viable DNA samples from Pharoahs. You're talking thousands of years people. 30 years sealed in plastic is nothing. Did you know they've found ways to extract DNA from articles that people have TOUCHED much less soiled with their body fluids? In order for this man NOT to be guilty of something involving this girl a detective in 75 would have had to plant this man's DNA thinking that 30 years later they'd have the technology to link him to this crime along with the other unsolved crime. Oh yeah then he'd have to keep quite about it for 30+ years. With the state of controls they have in these labs the only other conclusion is falsifying the data to pin it on him so they can close the case. If you believe that in this day and age then you likely believe the gov't blew up the trade center so big business could make money on another war. He did something bad involving this girl and there is really no relevant argument to be made beyond that.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:03:03 +0000

DNA evidence is nuts where courts are concerned. Look at that man in prison for several years for not paying child support. He's had 2 DNA test that has proven he's not the childs father yet the court is still making him pay and keeping him behind bars.

By: DeeBee lake

DeeBee lake — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:28:49 +0000

Wait..... was Jerome Barrett "then" 61 in 1975 or "now" 61 in 2008? So is he 91 or 61? The accused man? I am so sick and tired of these crazy people killing kids. If our judicial system would give the convicted the punishment they deserve, instead of babying them with attorneys seeking 15 minutes of fame, I think the cases would decrease. I say start frying these people when convicted. Ok someone said to me "what if it is your brother?" If my brother is going around killing little girls, then fry him too.

By: John Lennon

John Lennon — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 02:46:58 +0000

Teresa made the smartest and most honest comment there is!! Everyone should be treated equal although i do have to say that there are still some that don`t want to be friends with the white people. I also have had many black friends that have treated me better than my own color which is white. The only people i`ve ever had problems with come from extreme southern united states if you know what i mean. I was taught to get along with everyone by both my parents and God. Again, i really think Teresa`s comment is the most truthful!!!

By: Raphael

Raphael — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:57:50 +0000

I will add one more statement to my last one. I read Regina's comments again. She stated that the woman's child's DNA did not match hers. This is somewhat incorrect, because the child's DNA will always "match" the mother's, because the child's egg always comes from the mother, which has the mother's DNA (unless, of course, the egg was artificially implanted). The issue is that the child may not match his or her OWN DNA when multiple tests are conducted. Whoever conducted the tests must not have been paying close attention, or else they would have realized that, although the samples were different, they would have been appearing to come from biological siblings, which would have immediately indicated chimerism as the issue. However, since it is so rare, it's probably not likely that any analyst would have thought of it right away.

(I also watched that documentary. I believe it was on the Discovery Channel, for anyone that wants to look it up.)

By: Raphael

Raphael — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:25:59 +0000

Karen: I mentioned the instance of identical twins because it is relevant, in the sense that someone posted above that it is impossible for two people to have identical DNA. in fact, there was indeed a case on TruTV a long time ago in which one of a set of twins was responsible for killing someone, so the authorities not only had to obtain the DNA evidence, but they also had to exclude the other twin via circumstancial evidence, to eliminate all reasonable doubt.

Regina: You are referring to a phenomenon called "chimerism," named for the monster of Greek mythology, the Chimera, which was a cross between a goat and a lion. Chimerism is an extremely rare condition in which the person has two or more sets of distinct DNA, caused by the fusion of multiple zygotes in the womb prior to birth. The baby is usually completely healthy but has multiple sets of DNA. As a result, you can take DNA samples from different parts of this person's body, and the samples will be as though you obtained them from two different people. DNA analysis of the different samples would show that they came from siblings, not the same person.

By: Nathan

Nathan — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:09:27 +0000

I agree, the way the media is covering this, you'd think this thing just happened yesterday. The DNA will prove if the guy is guilty or innocent, but just as in the O.J. case America will be willing to convict him just for being associated with the crime in any kind of way.

By: Eric Vaughan

Eric Vaughan — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:41:02 +0000

First of all, Mr. Barrett has a Garrett Morris look going in that photo so he can get around better than most blacks. What Barrett did for a living then might just tie him to the body disposal site and just a hunch, was the shed's owner popular or did a lot of people, especially women, think they were "creepy"?