New DNA Technique Warms Up Cold Case Murder

The unsolved murder of young biologist in Rockville, Maryland some 24 years ago could soon be cracked thanks to an extraordinary new forensic technique called "DNA phenotyping."

The process, which projects genetic clues left at crime scenes into facial images, is being used in the cold-case homicide of Le Bich-Thuy, a research biologist dragged from the sidewalk as she walked home and then raped, beaten with a piece of concrete and strangled.

Montgomery County investigators told The Washington Post they now have a rough idea of what the attacker may have looked like at the ages of 25 and 45 thanks to the new technique.

"We're looking for any new information, anything these images might prompt someone to remember," Sgt. Chris Homrock, head of Montgomery's cold-case squad, which released to images of the suspect, told the newspaper.

The assailant is white, has blue eyes and no freckles, and has a distinctive shape to his head, he added.

Police also believe the same man was responsible for a rape in the same area in 1989 because they were able to match DNA from both crime scenes.

DNA phenotyping was developed by Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs, a DNA technology company that develops next-generation therapeutic and forensic products.

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