Why DNA testing could make a big difference in the Daybell case
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REXBURG — The smallest piece of DNA evidence in the Chad and Lori Daybell murder cases could change everything, according to a forensic science expert who has investigated around 10,000 deaths during his career.
Joseph Scott Morgan spent years as a senior investigator in the Atlanta Medical Examiner’s Office and also worked for the New Orleans Coroner’s Office. Morgan currently teaches forensic science at Jacksonville State University in Alabama and hosts the podcast Body Bags.
Last week, prosecutors in the Daybell cases asked a judge to allow consumptive DNA testing on several pieces of evidence, including hairs on duct tape, ridge detail (fingerprints) on tape, swabs from JJ’s right hand fingernails and small dark spots on the handles of a shovel and pickax.
Morgan spoke with EastIdahoNews.com about consumptive DNA testing, what it involves, what happens during an autopsy and how crucial DNA evidence testing is during a trial.
Watch the entire interview in the video player above.
