{"id":15392,"date":"2021-08-31T23:23:24","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T23:23:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/behindthebench\/?p=15392"},"modified":"2021-09-21T16:40:04","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T16:40:04","slug":"the-power-of-partnership-and-the-identification-and-conviction-of-a-serial-rapist-a-panel-discussion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/behindthebench\/the-power-of-partnership-and-the-identification-and-conviction-of-a-serial-rapist-a-panel-discussion\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Partnership and the Identification and Conviction of a Serial Rapist: A Panel Discussion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most sexual assaults involve people close to the victim, but some of the most harrowing stories involve strangers, breaking and entering, and a long road to justice. In 2010, Ashley Spence finally got to see the arrest of the stranger who attacked her. At the 2021 Human Identification Symposium (HIDS)<\/a>,\u00a0Spence and the members of the criminal justice community who were involved in the investigation into her assault spoke about the involved, collaborative process that led to her attacker\u2019s conviction.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

In 2003, Spence was attacked in her sleep while she was a student at Arizona State University. Spence\u2019s nurse, Jennifer Degner, recounted two pages of injuries when Spence presented herself for a Sexual Assault Nurse Exam (SANE). \u201cIt’s devastating when my survivors don’t feel like they were believed or listened to or supported,\u201d Degner relates, \u201cso the power of that first officer that was responding to the call [Torin Williams] is so great.\u201d This trust paved the way for the rest of this investigation. Importantly for our story, the SANE also produced abundant DNA evidence, including saliva and other fluids.<\/p>\n

While detectives such as Jeff Gentry, also on this panel, took over the investigation, the Arizona Department of Public Safety Crime Lab processed the DNA that Nurse Degner had collected from Spence. The recovered saliva proved to be enough to generate an autosomal DNA profile. Grant Belancik, the supervising forensic analyst of the crime lab, also used Y-STR testing to analyze Spence\u2019s samples. This testing method focuses on Y-chromosome DNA and thus helps distinguish male DNA in mixed samples, such as fluids collected in SANEs.<\/p>\n

There was no immediate match, but the existence of this profile enabled other law enforcement agencies and personnel to cooperate and extend the investigation a few years later. In 2007, a second case of assault by an unidentified attacker matched the DNA profile of Spence\u2019s attacker, proving that they were still active in Tempe, Arizona. A patrol officer intercepted a third attack in 2010 in Spence\u2019s new hometown in California, finally putting a name to the serial rapist (Kevin Lee Francois) and showing that, by accident or design, he had followed her across state lines. Without the combined efforts of Grant, Belancik, Degner, and the rest of the medical and police personnel involved in this investigation, he might never have been found. The combined DNA evidence connected him not only to Spence\u2019s attack but to at least 10 others. Francois\u2019s defense consisted primarily of attempting to cast doubt on the DNA evidence, which did not work when, as prosecutor Ryan Powell notes, the sample was \u201c38 trillion times more likely\u201d to be a mix of Francois\u2019s and Spence\u2019s DNA than anything else. Ultimately, thanks to the power of this DNA evidence and the continued commitment and unified efforts of law enforcement, the crime lab and the prosecution team, Francois was sentenced to nearly 138 years in prison.<\/p>\n

DNA analysis technology has continued to improve since this trial. DNA testing is now faster and more discriminating than ever, enabling analyses that once took weeks to be completed in hours and generating usable profiles from mere skin cells when fluids are not available. On the impact of such rapid testing, Detective Gentry reports, \u201cHoly moly, I can\u2019t imagine the closure we could provide people.\u201d Improved, faster DNA tests can both exonerate the innocent and put away the guilty. Gentry notes that, \u201cI can keep somebody in an interview room for an hour\u201d while a test is being processed, but having to re-arrest them if a test that takes days or weeks turns up a match is much more difficult. Belancik, likewise, appreciates seeing DNA matches come up in databases months or years after the fact and has the following message for people involved in court proceedings: \u201cIf there\u2019s more that we can do, we\u2019re happy to do it. Don\u2019t ever feel like, as an investigator or as an attorney you\u2019re causing us stress or annoyance by asking for more work, because we know you need it and we don\u2019t always know upfront what you\u2019re going to need. In a case like this, developing a full DNA profile is the best thing we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashley Spence is now an activist working to improve access to both DNA testing and SANE for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.<\/p>\n

To hear more about how Officer Torrin Williams, Detective Jeff Gentry, analyst Grant Belancik, prosecutor Ryan Powell, Nurse Jennifer Degner, and victim-turned-activist Ashley Spence helped put Kevin Lee Francois behind bars and away from potential victims\u2014and what Spence is doing to help make sure other people like her experience similar justice\u2014watch the panel discussion<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most sexual assaults involve people close to the victim, but some of the most harrowing stories involve strangers, breaking and entering, and a long road to justice. In 2010, Ashley Spence finally got to see the arrest of the stranger who attacked her. At the 2021 Human Identification Symposium (HIDS),\u00a0Spence and the members of the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":15405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[71,2222],"tags":[72,2109],"division":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15392","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-forensics","8":"category-rapid-dna-spotlights","9":"tag-forensics","10":"tag-rapid-dna","11":"entry"},"_selected_authors":"","_selected_reviewers":"","acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe 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with increasing temperature. UV-visible spectroscopy measures changes in DNA absorbance during this process, providing insights into DNA stability, sequence composition, and molecular interactions.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Pharma & Biotech Manufacturing"","block_context":{"text":"Pharma & Biotech Manufacturing","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/pharmamfg\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Close-up Of Dna Molecule On Blue Background","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/iStock-2200215349.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/iStock-2200215349.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/iStock-2200215349.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/iStock-2200215349.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/iStock-2200215349.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/iStock-2200215349.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19640,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/behindthebench\/direct-from-lysate-snp-genotyping-in-research-applications\/","url_meta":{"origin":15392,"position":1},"title":"Direct-from-Lysate SNP Genotyping in Research Applications","author":"Ashleigh Barlow","date":"April 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Direct-from-lysate workflow enabled by DNA Extract All Reagents compared to traditional DNA purification for SNP genotyping applications. Can You Perform SNP Genotyping Without DNA Purification? The short answer: In many research workflows, direct-from-lysate SNP genotyping can be performed without traditional DNA purification\u2014when appropriate chemistries and verification procedures are used. 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With experience spanning clinical laboratory research, digital PCR research applications, and next-generation sequencing (NGS), Dr. Sollweck shares how scientists are addressing critical unmet needs in cancer research. 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The A260\/A280 ratio can indicate potential protein contamination, while the A260\/A230 ratio can reveal residual salts, phenol, guanidine compounds, and other extraction-related contaminants. For a more complete assessment, purity ratios should be evaluated alongside\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"mRNA Technology - Messenger RNA - Two Strands of mRNA on Abstract Technology Background - Development of New Therapies and Vaccines Based on mRNA Technology - Conceptual Illustration","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/08\/iStock-1366552805_mrna.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/08\/iStock-1366552805_mrna.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/08\/iStock-1366552805_mrna.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/08\/iStock-1366552805_mrna.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/08\/iStock-1366552805_mrna.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/behindthebench\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/08\/iStock-1366552805_mrna.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19776,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/behindthebench\/epigenetic-methylation-analysis-qpcr-dpcr\/","url_meta":{"origin":15392,"position":5},"title":"Epigenetics unlocked: How behavior shapes biology","author":"Ashleigh Barlow","date":"May 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Article Summary Epigenetics is helping researchers understand how environment, behavior, and molecular regulation intersect. 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