Summary
In 2005, a woman reported to Idaho's Valley County Sheriff’s Office that she had been sexually assaulted by an unknown man. At the time, deputies conducted an extensive investigation, but the victim was unable to identify her attacker. Biological evidence collected during the investigation was used to produce a DNA profile from an unidentified male suspect, but he could not be identified. Despite an exhaustive investigation, no suspect was identified and the case went cold.
In 2022, the Idaho State Police (ISP) received funding through the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), a grant program administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The initiative supports the use of advanced DNA technology to analyze sexual assault evidence and help identify suspects in unresolved cases.
In 2023, the ISP SAKI Cold Case Unit teamed with Othram to leverage identity inference, a process that enables investigators to identify individuals from DNA evidence, even when there is no known reference sample to initially compare against. Officials with the Idaho State Police Forensic Services and Valley County Sheriff's Office worked together to submit forensic evidence to Othram's laboratory headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.
At Othram, scientists reviewed details of the case, determining that advanced DNA testing could help to identify the man. Othram scientists worked to develop a DNA profile from the submitted evidence, using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive SNP profile for the man. This SNP profile powered a forensic search by Othram, which was turned over to the ISP SAKI Cold Case Unit’s in-house investigative genetic genealogy team, resulting in new investigative leads about the man's identity.
A Valley County Sheriff’s detective spent about a year following up on those leads, including traveling out of state to collect DNA samples and conduct interviews. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the suspect, who has since died and whose name is not being released.
Although the man had died years before being identified, DNA testing of family members confirmed the suspect's identity. Detectives notified the victim of the development, who expressed deep gratitude for finally receiving answers after more than 20 years.
This is the 8th publicly announced case in the State of Idaho where officials leveraged Othram’s identity inference pipeline. Explore other cases on Othram’s website.
Dan Miller
Director of Customer Service
Dan guides law enforcement agencies across the United States and internationally through every step of the forensic process—from crime scene to courtroom. He ensures investigators have the support and resources they need to navigate advanced DNA testing and maximize the impact of forensic evidence in their cases.