Once upon a time, a 46-year-old woman was walking in her local neighborhood in Queens, NY. She was accosted by two men, one of whom pulled a gun on her. They ordered her to walk to her home. When they arrived, the women secretly hoped that her husband would answer the door. However, they were greeting by the woman’s 84-year-old mother. After a scuffle ensued, the woman hit one of her intruders with a table lamp, and the intruders fled.
It initially looked like another New York crime, with little for the police to go on. Except, one of the intruders in his haste, had left a single shoe at the scene of the crime.
Police dubbed the case “Cinderella.” They swabbed the sneaker for DNA evidence, in hopes that it would lead them to its owner. Methods of collecting and analyzing DNA evidence has improved greatly in recent years. Police did indeed find the owner of the wayward shoe, Emmanuel Sanchez, who lived within 10 miles of the scene of the crime.
While it is particularly ideal if there are bodily fluids present on an article, it is not necessary to get a good DNA sample, according to John Simich, director of the forensics laboratory for the Erie County Department of Central Police Services in Buffalo. Things such as hoods, disguises and hats yield DNA evidence, and are commonly discarded by thieves as they leave the scene of a crime.
Mr. Sanchez was initially arrested on a warrant for failure to appear on a ticket for open container. Once he was in custody, he was identified as the owner of the fateful sneaker and charged with robbery.
While sporting a brand new pair of Reebok’s, he maintains his innocence. He is currently at Riker’s State Prison.