'DNAbungle'hauntsGermanpolice

PoliceinGermanyhaveadmittedthatawomantheyhavebeenhuntingformorethan15yearsneverinfactexisted.

Dubbedthe"phantomofHeilbronn",thewomanwasdescribedbypoliceasthecountry'smostdangerouswoman.

InvestigatorshadconnectedhertosixmurdersandanunsolveddeathbasedonDNAtracesfoundatthescene.

PolicenowacknowledgeswabsusedtocollectDNAsampleswerecontaminatedbyaninnocentwomanworkinginafactoryinBavaria.

'Serialkiller'

Policesuspectedtheunnamedwomanofbeingaserialkillerwhoover16yearscarriedoutastringofsixmurders,includingstranglingapensioner.

ThepuzzleofthephantomkillerhasbeensolvedVolkerLinkProsecutorinHeilbronn

Shewasalternativelycalledthe"womanwithoutaface"andthe"phantomofHeilbronn"afterthecityinsouthernGermanywheresheallegedlykilledapolicewoman.

PolicesuspicionswerebasedontracesofidenticalfemaleDNAtheyfoundat40crimescenesacrosssouthernGermanyandAustria.

AfterfindingherDNAatthesceneofthemurderofa22yearpolicewomanfromHeilbronnin2007,policeoffereda300,000eurorewardforinformationleadingtoherarrest.

However,policedidnotcomeanyclosertoidentifyingtheirmostsoughtsuspect.

Firstdoubts

AccordingtoprosecutorsinthesouthwesterntownofSaarbruecken,doubtsabouttheexistenceofthe"phantomkiller"wereraisedwhenherDNAappearedondocumentsbelongingtoapersonwhohaddiedinafire.

Whenpolicefirsttriedtoidentifythevictim,theyfoundthephantom'sDNAonthedeadperson'sID.Butinasubsequenttest,notraceofthephantom'sDNAcouldbefoundonthedocument.

ThatwasthepointatwhichalarmbellsstartedringingandinvestigatorsbegantosuspectthatthetestmaterialitselfmayhavebeencontaminatedwithDNA,prosecutorssay.

NowithasbeendeterminedthatthecottonswabsusedtocollectDNAhadbeencontaminatedaccidentlybyawomanworkingatanunidentifiedfactoryinBavaria.

"Thepuzzleofthephantomkillerhasbeensolved,"saidVolkerLink,aprosecutorinHeilbronn.

Onecompanymakingswabssaidtheywerenotintendedforanalytical,butonlymedicaluse,whileanothersaidthattherehadbeennorequirementfortheswabstobefreeofDNA.

StoryfromBBCNEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr//2/hi/europe/7966641.stm

Published:2009/03/2802:59:03GMT

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