New DNA technology at Astrea Forensics connects original suspect to two 1979 murders
The Monterey County District Attorney has announced that Jurn Lavern Norris has been identified as the perpetrator of the 1979 murders of Helga DeShon and Uicha Malgieri in Marina, California. The newly-wed soldiers’ wives were murdered 15 days apart in Marina, CA. Although Norris was the suspect in the two murders, due to limited forensic technology at the time, there was not enough evidence to arrest him.
Police got a break in the case in 2022 after the Monterey County Cold Case Task Force used new DNA technology at Astrea Forensics to connect the original suspect to both murders.
Astrea Forensics uses whole-genome sequencing and statistical analyses to compare highly degraded samples directly to suspect DNA, marking a significant advancement in forensic science. These methods work well when traditional STR-based testing fails due to sample limitations or DNA degradation, like in rootless hair.
Cold Case Task Force Investigator Bill Clark states, “This [solve] is in no small part to your work at Astrea. A key piece of evidence was a rootless hair found next to the body of Helga DeShon. Astrea used both the Tilde and IDBGem methods to positively link this hair directly to the suspect, Jurn Norris.”
Although Norris cannot stand trial due to severe mental illness, this case exemplifies how our advanced forensic methods are transforming criminal investigations and delivering justice.
For more details, read the full press release here.