Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann in court for DNA evidence hearing
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The suspect in the Gilgo Beach serial killings and his attorneys spent another day in court debating over DNA evidence.
Lawyers for Rex Heuermann were in court to ask a Suffolk County judge to disqualify some of the DNA evidence collected by prosecutors.
The new technique is whole-genome sequencing of the DNA within a hair.
Scientists take all the fragments of DNA and assemble them into the human genome.
Traditional DNA sequencing looks at 15 to 24 points of comparison. Whole genome sequencing looks at 100,000 or more points. The methodology yields only one possible donor.
On Friday last week, Dr. Kelly Harris, who is an expert in the technique, testified that it is reliable, and when asked by a prosecutor if it is generally accepted within the scientific community, she said "it is."
Heuermann's defense has argued that the new DNA methodology has never been tested in New York courts.
Prosecutors with the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office have said the technique is already used in the medical community and is consistent with what the court system has allowed.
Heuremann's legal team also filed its reply to Suffolk County prosecutors' opposition to splitting up the seven slayings into separate trials.
Last week, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said the case is "heading toward the trial phase," with Heuermann charged with seven murders in one indictment.
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