STUFF : NATIONAL NEWS - STORY : New Zealand's leading news and information website: "Canterbury inmates' DNA to reopen cases
10 July 2004
By YVONNE MARTIN
DNA samples given to police by more than 150 serious criminals in Canterbury prisons have provided fresh leads on some historic burglaries.
Rapists, robbers and burglars have contributed DNA samples under new legislation which came into force in April.
Kevin Harmer, David Bain and Raymond Ratima were among 43 murderers who gave samples to a police operation aimed at extending the national DNA database.
The new samples are also being compared to those gathered from crime scenes, which could potentially reopen historical cases.
Detective Inspector Malcolm Johnston said some of the fresh DNA tested has matched samples from previous crimes, particularly burglaries. "
