alt Hacker NewsClassic. This is like that female serial killer in Europe that turned out to actually just be DNA from a woman making the DNA collection swabs.
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Interestingly, contamination of the forensic equipment was considered early on already. However, due to the geographic area of the findings and initial negative control tests using fresh swabs, they ruled it out.
When your methods get really sensitive, you stop just measuring the world and start measuring your own process too
I thought that exact thing and opened the comments to see you’d already commented with it.
There is a “case files” podcast on it that I found quite good.
They weren't DNA collection swabs, but sterile swabs intended for medical use.
That’s why you’re supposed to submit an unused swab with the samples, so that they can make sure the swab itself isn’t the source.
Plot twist: the woman making the DNA collection swabs was the serial killer.