Summary

In January 2024, Connecticut's North Haven Police began investigating a disturbing case involving the sexual assault of a 23-year-old woman with intellectual disabilities. The victim’s mother had taken her to the hospital after she complained of abdominal pain, where doctors determined that the woman was pregnant. The pregnancy ended in miscarriage at around six months. Investigators collected fetal tissue, from which the Connecticut Division of Scientific Services developed a traditional DNA profile. While a DNA profile including both parental contributors was successfully developed, there was no match in CODIS or other criminal databases, and the man who assaulted and impregnated the woman remained unknown.

In September 2024, seeking new leads, the Connecticut Division of Scientific Services submitted forensic evidence to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists developed a DNA extract from the fetal tissue and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile in hopes of identifying the man who assaulted the woman. The profile was then analyzed by Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team, which used the company’s new Multi-Dimensional Forensic Intelligence (MDFI) platform to generate investigative leads. MDFI is an end-to-end system purpose-built for forensic genetic genealogy, integrating laboratory testing, genealogical analysis, and database searching into a single seamless process optimized for law enforcement applications.

With MDFI, Othram’s team identified relatives of the unknown suspect and reconstructed family trees, leading investigators to Delienne Ranell Moncrieft, who was born August 27, 1975. Moncrieft was identified as the stepfather of the victim. A reference DNA sample was collected from Moncrieft and compared to the DNA profile developed from the fetal issue evidence, confirming Moncrieft's paternity. On April 15, 2025, Moncrieft was arrested and charged with second-degree sexual assault. He is currently being held on a $200,000 bond.

The identification of Moncrieft would not have been possible without the close partnership between the Connecticut Division of Scientific Services, the North Haven Police Department, and the forensic scientists at Othram, marking another successful identification using Othram’s MDFI platform. This is the eigth publicly-announced identification in Connecticut where investigators used techology developed by Othram to name an unknown individual.

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