Suspected Felons Face DNA Testing Under New Law

STAMFORD, Conn. — Convicted felons who are charged with new felonies can expect to have their DNA collected under a law recently signed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a press release said.

“The effective use of DNA in law enforcement continues to grow and prove itself as reliable evidence,” State Rep. Gerald Fox III (D-146, Stamford) said. “Someone who commits a felony is more likely to have committed a previous crime, so matching against an up-to-date DNA database can help solve unsolved cases.”

The felon would have to have been convicted of one of 39 serious crimes and submit DNA before being freed from custody, the release said. The DNA sample would be sent to a federal database.

The legislation is modeled after “Katie’s Law” in memory of Katie Sepich, who in 2003 was raped, strangled and set on fire in New Mexico. After three years, law enforcement was able to match the perpetrator’s DNA with other evidence. He had been convicted of several crimes in the past, the release said.

"When I heard testimony from Katie’s mother and her efforts across the nation in bringing this issue to state legislatures for action, I committed to help,” State Rep. Ernest Hewett (D-39, New London) said in the release.

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