Boone County first to collect DNA samples

By Brad Fischer

Published June 6, 2007

Last month, Boone County Jail became the first county jail in Missouri to have the ability to process the DNA of its inmates.

Missouri legislators passed a Senate bill passed in 2004 that requires state jails to collect DNA from all of its inmates and those on parole and probation.

Prior to the bill's passing, only criminals convicted of dangerous felonies and sex offenses were required to give a sample.

County jails are only required to collect DNA from certain convicts under their supervision.

Boone County Jail has processed just one DNA sample since it became capable of doing so 10 days ago. Unlike state jails, which must process all those under their supervision, the county jails are required only to process those convicted of five misdemeanor sexual offenses.

The law took effect on Jan. 1, 2005. Since then, on the state level, the Missouri Department of Corrections has taken DNA samples from 114,000 offenders.

Now, the department takes 1,800 samples each month. When an offender is sent to jail, a DNA cheek swab is taken.

The sample is then forwarded to the Missouri State Highway Patrol for analysis and review.

The data are entered into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System where it is matched against missing person cases and unsolved crimes.

Department of Corrections spokesman Brian Hauswirth said, as of April 15, the bill has helped in 170 cases this year.

"It is extremely important work and time well spent that is helping us solve crimes," Hauswirth said. "Every day you hear about a hit somewhere."

Captain Warren Brewer, Boone County jail director, said employees at the jail went through a two-hour training session last month on how to collect DNA.

He speculated that the jail was the first in the state because of its proximity to the Missouri Highway Patrol's crime lab, which oversees the implementation of the DNA testing program in county jails.

The jail has not received any increased funding because the new sampling policy does not apply to many convicts.

Captain Brewer said Cole County is scheduled to begin sampling DNA soon.