Latest / The Epstein Chronicles / Murder In Moscow: The Experts Behind The case Against Bryan Kohberger (Part 2) (8/20/26)
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: What's up everyone, and welcome back to the program. In
- 0:03Speaker 1: this episode, we're going to dive right back in to
- 0:06Speaker 1: the expert disclosures that were revealed up at Moscow. Exhibit
- 0:12Speaker 1: S three Amended supplemental expert disclosure Taylor Maychack. The State
- 0:18Speaker 1: hereby discloses Taylor Maychack Forensic Scientist three as an expert
- 0:23Speaker 1: witness in the field of forensic DNA, which includes, but
- 0:26Speaker 1: in no way is limited to DNA extraction, quantification, amplification analysis,
- 0:33Speaker 1: and interpretation analysis, including but not limited to STR data,
- 0:38Speaker 1: why STR data, an STR mix, probabilistic genotyping. The State
- 0:44Speaker 1: hereby incorporates its previous response and attachments filed on December eighteenth,
- 0:49Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, and is hereby supplementing its response as follows.
- 0:54Speaker 1: Taylor Maychack currently employed as a Forensic Scientist three with
- 0:58Speaker 1: the Idaho State Police Forensic Services, specifically in forensic DNA.
- 1:03Speaker 1: Her CV with further qualifications is attached. Particularly Maycheck can
- 1:09Speaker 1: be expected to testify as to the testing of several
- 1:13Speaker 1: lab items. She'll discuss the process of DNA analysis by
- 1:17Speaker 1: utilizing PCR, which was used in this case to generate
- 1:22Speaker 1: a short tandem repeat str profile. Additionally, maycheck may discuss
- 1:27Speaker 1: lab testing protocols, procedures, and the consumption of evidence. Consumption
- 1:32Speaker 1: of evidence is using an entire sample for DNA testing.
- 1:36Speaker 1: This is typically utilized when a low level of DNA
- 1:39Speaker 1: is anticipated. Maycheck previously testified in the case during grand
- 1:44Speaker 1: jury proceedings and can be expected to testify in the
- 1:47Speaker 1: same manner. More specifically, maycheck will provide an explanation of
- 1:51Speaker 1: what DNA is, how DNA can be collected, and how
- 1:54Speaker 1: DNA can be used. DNA is genetic material contained in
- 1:59Speaker 1: cells that may be utilized for human identification. DNA may
- 2:04Speaker 1: be present on an item in the form of biological
- 2:07Speaker 1: materials such as blood, semen, and saliva, or may be
- 2:11Speaker 1: left on an item when it's handled. Biological evidence and
- 2:15Speaker 1: possible potential DNA evidence is collected for preservation and may
- 2:19Speaker 1: be sent for further testing by qualified analysts. DNA can
- 2:23Speaker 1: be collected by swabbing an item or by taking a
- 2:26Speaker 1: cutting directly from an item. Reference DNA samples can be
- 2:30Speaker 1: collected directly from individuals. DNA can be used to identify individuals,
- 2:36Speaker 1: link individuals to crime scenes, link crime scenes, as well
- 2:39Speaker 1: as exclude individuals from DNA profiles that we obtain. Maycheck
- 2:44Speaker 1: will explain the four steps of DNA analysis, such as
- 2:48Speaker 1: one extraction of DNA from cells, two the quantification of DNA,
- 2:53Speaker 1: how much DNA is present in a sample, three the
- 2:56Speaker 1: amplification of DNA, generating copies of DNA, and for the
- 3:02Speaker 1: generation of DNA profile for comparison. Maychek will explain how
- 3:08Speaker 1: DNA str profiles are developed. One extraction add chemicals to
- 3:13Speaker 1: break open the cells to release the DNA. Two quantification
- 3:17Speaker 1: amount of DNA is measured within each sample. Three amplification
- 3:21Speaker 1: copy the specific location of DNA using the chain reaction
- 3:27Speaker 1: for developing DNA profile. Visualize the DNA profile which looks
- 3:33Speaker 1: like peaksonograph. Once we have our DNA profiles, we can
- 3:37Speaker 1: begin interpreting the data and making comparisons as applicable. Profiles
- 3:42Speaker 1: may then be entered into the Combined DNA Index System CODIS.
- 3:46Speaker 1: CODIS is a national collection of DNA profiles maintained by
- 3:50Speaker 1: the FBI. It contains convicted offender profiles as well as
- 3:54Speaker 1: profiles obtained from evidence, and can be used to identify
- 3:57Speaker 1: a suspect, generate potential leads, or link crime scenes together.
- 4:02Speaker 1: Upon entry, The profiles are automatically searched against the database
- 4:06Speaker 1: and generate hits when a match occurs. In Idaho, individuals
- 4:11Speaker 1: convicted of felonies and those placed on the Sex Offender
- 4:14Speaker 1: Registry must be entered into COTIS. Idaho also allows for
- 4:18Speaker 1: the entry of unidentified profiles generated from evidence associated with
- 4:23Speaker 1: the crime when that profile is believed to be from
- 4:27Speaker 1: the putative perpetrator. Idaho also allows for the entry of
- 4:31Speaker 1: DNA profiles associated with unidentified human remains or living people
- 4:36Speaker 1: unable to identify themselves. The profiles are entered by the
- 4:40Speaker 1: reporting analyst and reviewed during technical review. Each state also
- 4:45Speaker 1: has one CODIS administrator who is responsible for ensuring only
- 4:49Speaker 1: approved profiles are entered. Maychek will discuss that length the
- 4:53Speaker 1: generation of a DNA str profile from item one point
- 4:57Speaker 1: one swab of front strap of night sheet, which Maychack
- 5:02Speaker 1: concluded to be unknown male ultimately deemed MALA. There are
- 5:07Speaker 1: str locations specific to the Y chromosome which only males have.
- 5:12Speaker 1: When a peak is present at these locations, it indicates
- 5:16Speaker 1: that one or more donors or mel. This conclusion can
- 5:18Speaker 1: be found in Report number four. Maychack may also discuss
- 5:22Speaker 1: her interpretation and conclusions regarding the mixture of DNA obtained
- 5:27Speaker 1: from items one dot two swab of edges of handle
- 5:30Speaker 1: portion of the knife sheaths, one dot three swab of
- 5:33Speaker 1: edges of blade portion of the knife sheaths, and one
- 5:36Speaker 1: dot four swabs of stains on back of nice sheets.
- 5:41Speaker 1: Maycheck will discuss how individuals or reference samples are excluded
- 5:45Speaker 1: as contributors to a DNA mixture or source. Comparisons can
- 5:50Speaker 1: be between evidence and reference samples to include or exclude
- 5:54Speaker 1: an individual from a single source or mixture DNA profile.
- 5:59Speaker 1: For exclusions to single source profiles, the exclusion can be
- 6:02Speaker 1: made by visually comparing DNA profiles For mixture samples. A
- 6:07Speaker 1: software tool SQR mix can be used to aid in
- 6:10Speaker 1: the comparison. Maycheck will also discuss the partial DNA profile
- 6:15Speaker 1: obtained from item one dot two, which indicates a mixture
- 6:18Speaker 1: of three individuals, at least one of which is mail. However,
- 6:22Speaker 1: due to low level results, no comparison could be made.
- 6:26Speaker 1: Low level results or results with limited data that are
- 6:29Speaker 1: not suitable for a comparison. Determining if a sample is
- 6:33Speaker 1: suitable for a comparison is guided by ispf S policies,
- 6:38Speaker 1: but analyst discretion may also be considered when appropriate. Per
- 6:43Speaker 1: the isspf S Biology DNA Casework analytical methods, results that
- 6:48Speaker 1: contain minimal data typically results at fewer than six loci
- 6:53Speaker 1: should not be interpreted. Additionally, the interpretation of DNA results
- 6:58Speaker 1: should take into account the DA results obtained, the nature
- 7:01Speaker 1: of the sample, the condition of the profile, any forensically
- 7:05Speaker 1: valid assumptions that were made and should be scientifically justifiable
- 7:09Speaker 1: and based on collected experience and knowledge of the laboratory
- 7:14Speaker 1: and scientific community. The guidelines outlined in the analytical methods
- 7:19Speaker 1: are designed to provide a general foundation for interpretation, but
- 7:22Speaker 1: may not account for all scenarios that will be encountered.
- 7:26Speaker 1: In those scenarios, the forensic scientists and DNA technical lead
- 7:30Speaker 1: will determine the course of action that is scientifically most appropriate.
- 7:34Speaker 1: Maycheck may explain the partial DNA profile obtained from item
- 7:37Speaker 1: one dot three, which indicates a mixture of DNA from
- 7:40Speaker 1: at least two individuals, at least one of which is male. However,
- 7:44Speaker 1: due to low level results, no comparison could be made.
- 7:48Speaker 1: Maycheck may explain the mixture of DNA obtained from item
- 7:51Speaker 1: one dot four. Additionally, maycheck will explain how a DNA
- 7:55Speaker 1: str profile was generated from item eighty seven dot one
- 8:00Speaker 1: out from a qtive style squab from one twenty seven
- 8:03Speaker 1: Parkside Avenue, Blakeslee, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State Police Department, which was
- 8:08Speaker 1: taken from the trash from the Coburger residence at one
- 8:11Speaker 1: nineteen Lambsden Drive, all Brightsville, Pennsylvania. Maychack determined that the
- 8:17Speaker 1: DNA profile obtained from item eighty seven dot one was
- 8:21Speaker 1: from an unknown mail ultimately deemed mail E. Maychak concluded
- 8:26Speaker 1: mal E was not the source of DNA previously obtained
- 8:29Speaker 1: from item one dot one. However, Maychak was able to
- 8:33Speaker 1: conclude from the DNA profile obtained from item eighty seven
- 8:37Speaker 1: dot one Mail E and that obtained from item one
- 8:40Speaker 1: dot one mal A mail E cannot be excluded as
- 8:43Speaker 1: being the biological father of Mala. Maychack made this conclusion
- 8:48Speaker 1: using the single parentage index. The single parentage index for
- 8:53Speaker 1: the low key examined was nineteen million, seventy thousand. Maycheck
- 8:57Speaker 1: will discuss that at least ninety nine point nine nine
- 9:01Speaker 1: nine eight percent of the male population would be expected
- 9:04Speaker 1: to be excluded from the possibility of being the biological
- 9:08Speaker 1: father of Mala. This conclusion can be found in Report seventeen.
- 9:13Speaker 1: The single parentage index is a statistical value and compares
- 9:17Speaker 1: two probabilities, the probability of seeing the child's genetic information
- 9:21Speaker 1: if a tested individual is the biological parent of the
- 9:24Speaker 1: child versus if a random individual, either man or woman,
- 9:28Speaker 1: from the population is the parent. The calculation only uses
- 9:33Speaker 1: one parent. For comparison, half of your DNA obtained from
- 9:36Speaker 1: your mother and half from your father. Single parentage index
- 9:40Speaker 1: for the loci means that we're only discussing the LOCHI
- 9:43Speaker 1: tested in the case. Further, Maycheck compared several items in
- 9:47Speaker 1: the case, including more items listed in Report seventeen bates
- 9:51Speaker 1: pages five seven three to two, five seven, five eight.
- 9:55Speaker 1: Maycheck may discuss the partial profile obtained from ninety three
- 10:01Speaker 1: swab of duncan cup lid from one twenty seven Parkside Avenue, Blakesley, Pennsylvania,
- 10:06Speaker 1: being consistent with Mel's E profile. Maycheck may also explain
- 10:11Speaker 1: the low levels of mel DNA or no presence of
- 10:14Speaker 1: mel DNA on other items in Report number seventeen. All right, folks,
- 10:20Speaker 1: we're going to wrap up this episode right here, and
- 10:22Speaker 1: in the next episode we're going to pick up with
- 10:24Speaker 1: Exhibit number four Amended supplemental expert disclosure Tara Martinez. All
- 10:30Speaker 1: the information that goes with this episode can be found
- 10:33Speaker 1: in the description box