Trying My Hand at Crime Feature

The Truth Behind DNA Technology and Crime.

            She screamed at the top of her lungs ‘no... no...’, tears rolled down her cheeks and she could not stand anymore. Her daughter held her and brought her out of the court with the helped of two of their relatives. Jenny Lim, 54, a single mother, went hysterical in court when the accused was set free due to lack of evidence.  Her elder daughter Christine 23, was kidnapped, raped and murdered three months back.

Christine Lim, was on her regular routine on March 10, 2014, she left the house for work around 6:45am and headed towards the bus stop which was 20 minutes away. She was alleged to have been kidnapped while she was walking to the bus stop and was brought to an abandon petrol station at the Nilai /KL highway, where she was brutally raped and killed.

Christine Lim was found with a broken neck, torn internal tissues and cracked skull, in her yellow bloodstained blouse. Her handbag and skirt were found a few meters away. Police commissioner, Tn. Haji Alias Jabir said the scene suggested the victim did try to run away but failed.

Lee Man Si, 38 year old local business man was rounded up together with a few other men and was brought in for questioning. He was released on April 1, three days later he left to Shanghai, China. Nevertheless, he was arrested upon returning to Malaysia on the 18^th of May 2014.

Ali Ammar Zamri the Judicial Commissioner stated Lee was let off the hook for several reasons. The major reason was that the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) traces found on the victim and her blouse was not a complete match to the accused. Ali also added that the Satria GTi with tinted window which was seen leaving the scene was highly circumstantial as there is no prove Lee drove the car that day. Judge finally made his call to acquit Lee from all the charges.

A man walked free that day. DNA evidence can clearly change the fate of many. It can save an innocent and at the same time save a criminal too. DNA is said to be a sword with two edges, it needs to be handled carefully. DNA evidence can be easily tampered and disintegrated. Best of all, DNA profile can be a perfect match in cases of twins and bone marrow transplanted patients. Should something so fragile be the key to a person’s life and another’s justice? Furthermore, anyone who knows you can have accesses to your DNA. All they need is some of your hair with roots on it.

Years ago, Malaysian courts went through a complicated time trying to judge an accused as the major evidence was a partial finger print and some bloodstain. Saravana, 32 was finally found guilty to the murder of Sheela Ramu as the partial finger print was a match to the accused. In addition, eye witness claim of seeing a black Proton SAGA speeding way, backed up the case too. If there were DNA technologies back then, perhaps his fate would have been different or maybe not.

Nevertheless, the accuracy of the DNA can only be proven if it is collected, stored and processed according to specific procedures. Flaws can happen at any of these stages and cause the DNA evidence to be useless to the case. This technology would have been valuable in the 80’s and was extremely helpful in the 90’s but now in the 21^st century with the escalating crime rate and criminals are getting sneakier; DNA technology can be challenged. Television programs such as Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), Criminal Documentary, Happily Never After, Law and Order: SVU (Special Victims Unit) which are based on fictional cases and past criminal cases that has close basis to the real world crimes gives them an insight as these programs feature why the criminals are caught in relation to evidences. As a matter of fact, The Internet has various site on how DNA evidence are contaminated these information will help them avoid mistakes. In the 90’s an elite case produced DNA evidence as star evidence. The whole case took a detour when the defense team stated that the DNA was planted. Mazni Sahari was accused for the murder of her step father. Her lawyer Mr. Rave argued the hair was circumstantial evidence as it can be obtained by anyone, the trial which went on for 2 weeks before this issue was brought to light and the verdict was lack of substantial evidence. She is a free married woman today with three children of her own.

Looking back at a few cases, we can be thankful for the huge leap DNA technology has granted us in field crime investigation. It has help free many inmates and brought justice in many to many cases. Nonetheless, there seems to be a trend in our cases nowadays. We should be aware that cases should not be judge solely based on DNA evidence or influenced by it either. Malaysians have to realise that DNA evidence has two sides and we should be cautions and responsible over judgments we pass as the fate of a human is at stake here.

(862 words- Fully Fictional)