Opinion ID: 1390030
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Mitochondrial DNA Testing Results

Text: At the tutorial, Dr. Terry Melton, Petitioner's mitochondrial DNA expert, testified that mitochondrial DNA testing is different from nuclear DNA testing. (4/2/04 HRT 19-25.) With nuclear DNA testing, it is possible to match with a high degree of specificity an unknown sample of nuclear DNA to a reference sample of nuclear DNA. This is because, except for twins, nuclear DNA is unique to the individual. (4/2/04 HRT 19.) In contrast, mitochondrial DNA found in the hair is inherited maternally and is shared by all maternal relatives. (4/2/04 HRT 19.) For this reason, mitochondrial DNA testing is not able to conclusively identify the source of the hairs, but rather serves as an exclusionary tool to rule out certain individuals as a possible donor of the hair: [Mitochondrial DNA is] inherited from the mother. And all siblings of that mother will have the same type. The mother will have the same type as her mother and her grandmother and so forth. So, the primary difference between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, when it applies to forensics, is that it is not a unique identifier. . . . It is a maternal lineage identifier. . . . (4/2/04 HRT 19-25.) [8] After considering the extensive post-conviction hair analysis done by Petitioner's expert and the testimony of Dr. Melton, Dr. Blake and Dr. Thornton, the Court ordered mitochondrial DNA testing. The Court authorized Petitioner's expert, Dr. Peter De Forest to select ten hairs that were recovered from Jessica's right and left hands and to select, as a control, one animal hair covered with blood from the hair evidence sent from the DOJ DNA Laboratory. ( See 6/4/04 Order Re Mitochondrial DNA Testing, 04-CV-656, Doc. No. 75.) In addition, the Court ordered testing of the two remaining hairs identified in the 2001 post-conviction DNA testing as having anagen roots, D-4A (one hair from the right hand of Doug Ryen), E-1A (one hair from the arm of Chris Hughes) and D-4C, [9] (one hair from the right hand of Doug Ryen). ( See 04-CV-656, Doc. No. 75, Order RE Mitochondrial DNA Testing, filed 6/4/04.) On August 2, 2004, Dr. Melton submitted a report regarding the results of the mitochondrial DNA testing. (04-CV-656, Doc. No. 155, Mitochondrial DNA Testing Report (Dr. Melton's Report).) According to the report, the hairs contained in Jessica Ryen's hands were either animal hairs or hairs from Jessica herself or from someone maternally related to her. (Dr. Melton's Report at 6-8.) Two of the ten hairs selected by Dr. DeForest, Petitioner's expert, were from domestic dogs. (Dr. Melton's Report at 3.) The results confirmed that Jessica Ryen, Peggy Ryen, and Josh Ryen and their maternal relatives could not be excluded as the donors of the tested hairs, including the hairs found in Jessica Ryen's hand. (Dr. Melton's Report at 6-8.) Six days of hair analysis in post-conviction DNA testing plus mitochondrial DNA testing of hairs have been conducted to address Petitioner's claim that a third-party assailant committed the crime. [10] This Court has responded fully to the concern expressed by the Ninth Circuit regarding mitochondrial DNA testing of the blond or light brown hair in Jessica's left hand. In fact, this Court allowed Petitioner to test hairs from both of Jessica's hands. The Court also permitted the testing of two hairs from Doug Ryen's right hand and one hair from Christopher Hughes. The testing failed to identify another assailant and confirmed that all tested hairs most likely came from one or more of the victims. This should not be surprising. The hairs adhered to the victims' bodies, including their hands, because there was a large amount of blood on the victims and a large amount of hair on the debris-ridden carpet. Also, the victims each sustained hatchet wounds to the head, causing clumps of cut hair to fall to the ground. Both animal and human hair were recovered from the hands of the victims. Just as with the animal hairs, the cut and shed human hairs adhered to the bloodied victims' hands because the victims came in contact with the carpet when they were dying on the floor. In this case, both the state and federal courts have thoroughly reviewed the evidence, making reasoned decisions that the evidence of Petitioner's guilt is overwhelming. The Court concludes that mitochondrial DNA testing has failed to show that someone other than Petitioner committed the murders.