BREAKING: University Reports Cat DNA Helps Solve Crime

And you thought feline crime-fighters were the stuff of mystery novels, didn't you?
Move over Lillian Jackson Braun, the UK has one-upped you.

photo courtesy Cayambe via Creative Commons 3.0

On Wednesday, the University of Leicester reported that a feline DNA database they created helped convict a murderer.

Dr. Jon Wetton, of the university's Department of Genetics, was approached by the Hampshire Police when they found cat fur at the scene of the crime.

We assume the victim did not have a cat, and so those investigating thought a DNA trace might assist in tying their suspect to the scene of the crime.

After gathering mitochondrial DNA samples from 152 British moggies (both Shorthair and other varieties), the department was able to confirm with a 98% degree of certainty that the fur sample from the suspect's pet cat was a match to the fur found at the scene of the crime*.

This evidence formed an important part of the case the prosecution used to successfully convict David Hilder of manslaughter last week.


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*Only 3 out of 152 cat fur samples matched the mitochondrial DNA of the suspect's cat.

Source:

University of Leicester's news & events page, August 14