People v. Hayes

This murder case presents a narrow, but important, question regarding the admissibility of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) evidence to prove identity in criminal prosecutions. A DNA comparison of blood found at the crime scene with defendants blood resulted in a match. That is, defendants genetic profile matched that of the blood at the crime scene so that he could not be excluded as a donor of that blood. Similarly, a DNA comparison of blood found on defendants pants when he was arrested with the victims blood resulted in a match, so that the victim could not be excluded as a donor of that blood. Obviously, evidence tending to show that defendants blood was found at the crime scene, and that the victims blood was on defendants pants, would be highly probative to whether defendant was the killer.