A man in the US has been exonerated after serving 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, thanks to the help of genetic genealogy – a technique that compares unknown DNA evidence to public genetic databases to identify suspects through their family members.
Christopher Tapp was sentenced in 1998 for the rape and murder of Idaho teenager Angie Dodge – despite the fact his DNA did not match evidence found at the crime scene.
Instead, he had been convicted based on a confession he late retracted, along with the theory that multiple people had been involved in the crime.
Decades after proclaiming his innocence – and saying his confession was coerced – Tapp was finally exonerated on Wednesday after genetic genealogy was used to find a new suspect in Dodge’s murder.
As he left court, Tapp told reporters: “I hope that things get learned from this mistake and I hope things get changed.”
He continued: “I’m glad I was able to come out the other end and still smile and still be happy.
“I accepted the fact that I was gonna be a convicted felon. Now I don’t ever have to worry about that.
“It’s a new life, a new beginning, a new world for me. And I’m just gonna enjoy it every day.”
Tapp added: “I hope nobody ever forgets Angie Dodge.”
The case dates back to 13 June 1996, which was when 18-year-old Dodge was raped and killed in her apartment in Idaho Falls.
Angie Dodge. Credit: Idaho Falls Police Department
Semen and hair had been collected from the scene, with DNA testing showing that they had belonged to the same suspect.
Tapp – who was 20 at the time – confessed to being involved in the incident in January 1997, even though his DNA did not match the samples.
“Tapp’s confession matched details from the crime scene and included assertions that he had not acted alone,” said police.
“Based on his confessions, knowledge of the crime, and other facts that supported a theory that multiple people had been involved in the rape and murder, Tapp was convicted in 1998 by a jury.”
In 2001 Tapp claimed his confession had been coerced by investigators and that he was, in fact innocent.
However, it wasn’t until May this year, police announced they had found the man behind the murder, having used a 23-year-old degraded DNA sample from the original crime scene and investigative genealogy.
Brian Leigh Dripps, who once lived on the same street as Dodge, confessed to the killing, with his DNA matching the original profile of the suspected killer.
CeCe Moore, the genetic genealogist who worked on the case, told ABC: “It’s just such an incredible feeling to be a part of clearing an innocent man’s name.”
Featured Image Credit: KTVB
