Why the DNA evidence in the Long Island serial killer case could get thrown out before trial even begins

Right — so you’ve probably seen Gone Girls: Long Island Serial Killer on Netflix. And if you’re anything like me, you’re deep in the Reddit threads and TikTok rabbit holes about Rex Heuermann. He is the man accused of murdering at least seven women over nearly two decades. One of the key ways investigators linked Rex Heuermann to the murders was through DNA evidence found on the victims.

But now, just as the Gone Girls case heats up again, there’s a real chance that some of the most crucial DNA evidence tying him to the victims might actually be ruled inadmissible in court.

via Netflix

So, why might the DNA evidence be thrown out?

So, according to CBS News, the main thing prosecutors are leaning on is a new type of forensic testing called “whole genome sequencing.” Basically, it’s a high-tech way of looking at tiny bits of DNA (even from old or damaged hair) and figuring out who they might belong to.

It’s been used loads in healthcare and even in helping identify bodies in cold cases.  But this type of DNA testing has never been used as evidence in a New York courtroom before.

To explain just how not-new DNA actually is, one of the forensic experts even played a clip from Jurassic Park in court. It was the scene where they talk about extracting dinosaur DNA from mosquitoes trapped in amber. The point was to show that the basic science has been around forever. It’s just the technology that’s getting more precise.

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So, what’s happening now?

Rex Heuermann’s defence team is arguing that this method isn’t reliable enough to be used in a criminal trial. Their claim is that it’s “extremely faulty and defective.” And since no judge in the state has allowed it before, it shouldn’t start now.

Last month, the court held a Frye hearing. It is basically a legal mini-trial to decide whether this new kind of scientific evidence is reliable enough to be used at trial.

via Netflix

Why does it matter?

Reportedly, if the judge rules that the DNA isn’t allowed, prosecutors will lose one of their biggest pieces of evidence. They’d still have other things like burner phone records, car info, and search history. But it would definitely weaken the case.