8-year-old murder solved by DNA profiling

BAKERSFIELD - Bakersfield Police arrested a local man after DNA evidence linked him to a murder that occurred eight years ago.

There are over 4 million profiles of convicted felons in a national DNA index called Codis.

Recently, one of those profiles was matched to DNA evidence recovered from the crime scene of a 1999 murder.

Now some local DNA specialists explain why it took eight years to make a match.

In May 1999, authorities said Leslie Ahart was sexually assaulted and then shot to death by Darnell Lucifer Pierce.

Pierce was arrested after the District Attorney’s Crime Lab confirmed his DNA matched a profile DNA gathered at the crime scene.

It’s similar to matching finger prints. A DNA sample is gathered and entered into a national database. If that sample matches an existing profile, then investigators have a hit.

Criminalist Greg Laskowski said in the past, California was falling behind in DNA profiling because of lack of funds, man power, and different regulations for profiling.

“If he was arrested sometime previous to that, he may not have been arrested and charged as a sex offender,” said Laskowski. “Therefore his DNA would not have been collected. There was probably a significant time lag from months to a year before it was even put in the system.”

Prop. 69 changed the rules last year, allowing California to profile anyone who’s committed a felony.

Laskowski said he hopes more funding, new regulations, and technologies that allow for smaller DNA samples will put more criminals behind bars.

“Ten years ago we started out with something the size of a dime, and now we can do something the size of the head of a pin,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bakersfield Police said they are still speculating on what might have happened leading up the murder.

“In regards to an abduction, there is no evidence that took place,” said BPD Detective Greg Terry. “But in regards to … between the two either.”

The hit on Darnelle Pierce occurred last fall. The DNA evidence was matched in February leading to his arrest.

Pierce is charged with sexual assault and the murder of Leslie Ahart.

He is due in court Tuesday.