Wired for Disaster: The Hidden Dangers of Wire-Cut Evidence in Forensics

New analysis has implications for other forensic examinations that rely on large databases and algorithms for comparisons.

New research highlights the importance of careful application of high-tech forensic science to avoid wrongful convictions. The study was published on June 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In the study, which has implications for a wide range of forensic examinations that rely on “vast databases and efficient algorithms,” researchers discovered that the odds of a false match significantly increase when examiners make millions of comparisons in a quest to match wires found at a crime scene with the tools allegedly used to cut them.