DENVER (AP) - Denver police say they expect charges will be dismissed against five people as a result of a DNA mix-up.
Lt. Matt Murray said Tuesday three people had been convicted or pleaded guilty in cases related to the misidentified DNA. He says they were convicted or pleaded guilty to other charges at the same time and received no added punishment because of the mistake.
Two hadn’t been charged when the mistake was discovered.
Police have said all were charged with property crimes, but they released no other information, including the defendants’ names.
The mix-up occurred in 2011 when a DNA processing machine failed. Police say lab technicians got erroneous instructions from the manufacturer on how to reload DNA samples that had been in the machine.
The error was discovered last year.
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Online:
Police statement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a6adWkZQAA&feature=youtu.be
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