Law enforcement using private labs for DNA

In an effort to quickly solve a homicide, Cache County sheriff's investigators have taken the extraordinary step — and expense — of hiring a private company to handle some of their DNA evidence.

"The state crime lab is limited in their ability and they're extremely backlogged," said Cache County Sheriff's Lt. Matt Bilodeau. "We're having to go to private enterprises to fill our DNA needs."

On Friday, Bilodeau signed off on paying $4,400 to a private lab to do DNA testing on results from a series of search warrants served in connection with the slaying of Tiffany Britt Jarmon. The 33-year-old Salt Lake woman was shot to death and her body dumped off an embankment in Logan Canyon in November 2008.

In recent weeks, Cache County detectives have served a series of search warrants in the Salt Lake Valley for cars, weapons and blood evidence. Several people have emerged as potential suspects in the search warrant affidavits.

Most of the evidence seized has already been sent to the state crime lab, but some in law enforcement fear that delays in getting results could mean justice denied. Bilodeau said that evidence in other cases sent to the state crime lab often has lengthy turnaround times, such as computer forensics.

"I'm sure they're working their butts off, but I've got people who have issues with children and they can go out and walk around for a year before we've got the evidence to charge them. Then it's, 'Where'd he go?'" he said. "The criminal now has the advantage."

The head of the state crime lab defended his office's turnaround time, saying that lately it has been the best ever.

"We've been involved with that investigation since day one," said Jay Henry, director of the Utah Department of Public Safety's crime lab.

Henry conceded that the state crime lab has had challenges in the past. Currently, it takes about two weeks to identify a DNA-type sample. It takes at least 45 to 60 days to get complete results, he said. That is, if law enforcement has a sample to compare it to.

"Let's say we had an unsolved rape case and we analyzed the swab. There's a profile that belongs to a male. If the agency's got a suspect we compare it right there. We're kind of forced to wait for it if they don't have a suspect," Henry said.

For specialized DNA testing, such as the kind Cache County said it is seeking, Henry said he recommends a private lab.

"Those are kind of few and far between," he said. "We handle about 80 to 90 percent of the DNA cases right now."