Police hope DNA can help solve 50-year-old crime

APPLETON, Wis. — Winnebago County authorities are hoping advancements in DNA testing technology can help them solve a murder that has left them stumped for 50 years.

In 1963, Wayne Pratt was stabbed 53 times at a gas station along U.S. Highway 41 between Neenah and Oshkosh. There were suspects, but DNA testing wasn't an option back then.

The Appleton Post-Crescent reported (http://post.cr/1bAnWzI) that the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office is now preparing to send evidence from the case to the state Crime Lab for testing in hopes that DNA might link suspects to the crime.

"DNA opens a lot of doors," Sheriff John Matz said. He added that the best pieces of evidence from the Pratt case, including dried blood from different items at the scene, will be sent to the state.

Brian O'Keefe, administrator of law enforcement services for the Wisconsin Department of Justice, said DNA testing is the No. 1 reason why cold cases are getting solved.

"It's such a powerful tool. It can bring justice to a family who has lost somebody," he said.

O'Keefe said it is rare for someone to come forward 30 to 40 years after a murder. As DNA testing becomes more advanced, it's possible for authorities to get reliable results from old evidence.

In the early days, a quarter- to half dollar-size spot of blood was required, O'Keefe said. But now, much smaller samples can be tested. And as the quality of DNA testing improved, offender and forensic databases expanded, giving investigators a wider sample of suspects.

O'Keefe said there are about 160,000 names in Wisconsin's data bank, and about 10 million names nationwide. He said 40 percent of every 1,000 names put into the data bank will result in a hit in the forensic database. Those hits are for all crimes, not just murders.

O'Keefe said DNA evidence alone won't solve a case. Solid investigative work is still needed.

But he is excited about the potential of DNA testing.