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DNA evidence convicts burglar after seven years in Oranienburg!
On July 2, 2016, Janis K. tried to break into Oranienburg. DNA evidence led to his conviction after seven years.
DNA evidence convicts burglar after seven years in Oranienburg!
In Oranienburg, people remember an attempted break-in that happened almost ten years ago. On July 2, 2016, the M. couple were woken from their sleep when they heard a loud noise. Viktor M. observed a person jumping over the railing of their balcony and then working on the window of the balcony door. This was eventually smashed, but it remains unclear whether the perpetrator got into the apartment or fled prematurely. maz-online.de reports that ...
The police were immediately alerted, but the initial investigation yielded no results. In addition to the material damage of around 300 euros for the damaged door, traces of blood were mainly found on the balcony railing. Due to a lack of usable fingerprints, the case initially seemed to end up in a drawer.
An unexpected DNA hit
The case was dormant until 2018, when the BKA reported a crucial DNA hit in Latvia. The defendant, Janis K., a Latvian native, had been living in Germany since 2015 and now lives in Berlin with his Polish wife. Although he denied the break-in, he could not remember what happened. With modern forensic DNA analysis, it was possible to convict Janis K. as the perpetrator.
The developments in DNA analysis, which have made great progress in Germany in the last few decades, now offer opportunities to analyze even the smallest traces of DNA. According to [vdz.org, forensic DNA analysis technology describes a change that has contributed to the fact that even low and heavily damaged DNA materials can now be analyzed. These technologies have significantly influenced law enforcement and make it possible to advance unsolved cases, so-called cold cases.
The course of the procedure
After almost seven years of investigations and proceedings, the case was heard at the Oranienburg District Court. The public prosecutor was surprised at how long the proceedings took, but only requested a fine of 150 daily rates of 40 euros each. The court then decided that due to the long processing time, 40 days should already be considered settled. Janis K. now has to pay off the remaining 4,400 euros in installments of 150 euros.
The exciting development and long-term investigation of this case underline the importance of advanced forensic techniques in modern criminalistics. As the case shows, even after many years, the necessary evidence can still be collected to achieve justice and hold criminals accountable.