Originally published at: For the first time, tree DNA puts a man to prison | Boing Boing
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It’s a trifle exotic; but in retrospect is seems perfectly sensible to at least take a stab at genetic fingerprinting for any crime that has a biological victim and some remains in adequate condition to get some DNA from.
Also, thanks to its novelty, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if this guy got the benefit of better-than-usual DNA testing; If it’s something common and mature enough to go off to the crime lab that’s a relatively high-throughput environment that commonly answers(in org chart or operational terms) to the same team as the police and the DA; but if it’s something a little too exotic for that they probably farmed it out to either an academic lab(plenty of land grant schools or ones with agricultural extension programs that know about plants specifically, a well as plenty more that know about DNA sequencing and fingerprinting in general) or a private sector sequencing shop.
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TreeNA
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Make him plant trees for two years.
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It’s still not a common practice but plant DNA has been used in criminal trials to place suspects at crime scenes since 1992.
https://botany.org/home/resources/plant-talking-points/crime-scene-botanicals-forensic-botany.html
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If you’re unfamiliar with this wood, one ad from a local purveyor will give you some idea of what it’s worth. Figured Maple ad – NW Timber Maple is a very rigid timber; trees with this corrugated (‘quilted’) grain may bend better in the windstorms we get, instead of breaking. The best stuff takes a stunning finish.
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damn that is some pricey lumber
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Damn it’s nice to see Tacoma, WA do something right for once.
Squealers get chopped.
To be fair, that’s a bookmatched instrument top- Luthiers tend to seek out the highest grade woods, and that stuff tends to be premium priced.
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Next time, just try to take over the government, you’ll get a lighter sentence.
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This is a hard wood topic (pun intended) as I know and respect the fact that I can’t bring any guitars I own into the US without the threat of them being confiscated because they are made of endangered woods. I need documents that show that my instruments were made before the embargo.
This is much the same as tortuous shell and ivory except that ancient trees can be managed more easily… having said that I have an instrument that is made from Brazilian Mahogany which is a product of mass cultivation and destruction of indigenous forests. I am shamed and feel much guilt knowing this now.
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