The FBI DNA Laboratory: A Review of Protocol and Practice Vulnerabilities

May 2004
Office of the Inspector General

Appendix V

Dr. Arthur J. Eisenberg

Dr. Eisenberg received a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the State University of New York at Albany in 1984. He has worked in the field of DNA identification testing for the past 20 years, and has helped in the development of many of the reagents and methodologies used in the field. He currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and as the Director of the DNA Identity Laboratory at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas. The DNA Identity Laboratory, in addition to performing parentage and DNA forensic testing, was designated by the Texas Legislature in its 2001 legislative session to serve as the site for the state's Missing Person Database.

Dr. Eisenberg has been a member of the FBI's Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methodologies for the past 14 years. He is also a member of the College of American Pathologists/American Association of Blood Banks Parentage Testing Proficiency Committee, and is a former member of the American Association of Blood Banks Parentage Testing Standards Committee. He was appointed to the United States DNA Advisory Board, an oversight group created as a result of the DNA Identification Act of 1994, in the position of Molecular Biologist and was later named Chairman.

Mr. William David Coffman

Mr. Coffman received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Houston in 1982, and later completed additional coursework in the subjects of Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry. Mr. Coffman's professional career began with a serology position at the Houston Police Department Crime Laboratory in 1984. After a variety of DNA experiences, Mr. Coffman accepted in 1987 a position as a forensic biologist with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Tallahassee Regional Crime Laboratory. In 1990 Mr. Coffman was asked to establish the state of Florida's DNA Investigative Support Database and in 1994 was promoted to his current position as Crime Laboratory Analyst Supervisor, overseeing Florida's DNA Investigative Support Database Program.

Mr. Coffman has served as an expert witness in the field of Forensic Biology in the states of Florida, Texas, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin approximately 150 times, and has testified or given depositions on the subject of Forensic DNA and cases related to DNA Databasing approximately 15 times.

Mr. Coffman has served in a variety of positions in the national professional DNA community, including: Vice Chairman, Scientific Working Group of DNA Analysis Methods; Combined DNA Index System Subcommittee Chairman, Scientific Working Group of DNA Analysis Methods; member of the FBI's Quality Assurance Standards Audit Review Panel; member of the Laboratory Funding Working Group that functions as part of the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence; member of the FBI's DNA Advisory Board from March 1997 to March 2000; member of the National DNA Database Pilot Program conducted for the Combined DNA Index System administered by the FBI; member of the American Academy of Forensic Scientists; member of the Southern Association of Forensic Scientists; member of the Florida Sex Crimes Investigators Association, and a Special Subcommittee member for the Missing and Exploited Children Information Clearinghouse.

Dr. John H. Ryan

Dr. Ryan received his Ph.D. in Genetics in 1995 from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Dr. Ryan's professional experience began in 1995 when he accepted a position as a DNA technician at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL). AFDIL provides worldwide scientific consultation, research, and education services in the field of forensic DNA analysis to the Department of Defense (DoD) and other agencies. During his 5-year tenure at AFDIL, Dr. Ryan progressed to the position of Technical Leader of the mitochondrial DNA section. Dr. Ryan accepted his current position as the Director of Forensic Programs at Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc., in June of 2000. The Forensic Programs at Myriad Genetic Laboratories provides highly automated processing of DNA samples. In addition, Dr. Ryan currently serves as a DNA Expert on the Scientific Advisory Board for the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) for the former Yugoslavia. The ICMP, works to bring resolution to the families of those missing from the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.

Dr. Ryan has held a variety of positions in the national professional DNA community, including President of the Human Identity Trade Association, a member of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists, a provisional member of the American Academy of Forensic Scientists, and a Diplomat of the American Board of Criminalistics. CHECKLISTS AND GUIDANCE FOR SCIENTISTS

This Appendix contains the definition of terms, guidance, and forms that were used by the assessment team to determine which portions of the FBI DNAUI written procedures and protocols were vulnerable to undetected inadvertent or willful noncompliance.

The document sections in the checklists track directly to the table of contents of the various documents listed. Separate tables were completed for both impact rankings and risk rankings, even though the following documents show impact and risk on the same checklist.