SYRACUSE -- It has been almost five years since the battered body of Paige Archambault’s mother, Carol Nelson, was discovered along 7th North Street in Salina.
Nelson, a retired nurse, was brutally raped and murdered by Glen Shoop on July 1, 2007. Shoops’ DNA was already on file for an earlier unsolved rape.
Archambault and her family have been trying to persuade Governor Andrew Cuomo to support legislation to permit the collection of DNA samples at the time of a felony arrest.
Archambeault says had authorities been able to sample Shoop's DNA at the time of his arrest, police would have connected him to an earlier rape in East Syracuse and Carol Nelson may still be alive today.
Lt. Governor Robert Duffy says murders like Nelson’s could be avoided if the state is allowed to expand its DNA database.
"I'll be very blunt it is a no brainer I can't see any reason not to do this," said Lt. Gov. Duffy.
Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick was among those who turned out to show their support for the use of an expanded DNA database.
Right now, state law only allows DNA samples to be taken from less than half of all convicted criminals. Cuomo's plan would expand the DNA database to include all felony and misdemeanor convictions.
“This is using technology than can zero in on people, it limits the pool. And certainly when you are looking at suspects, it helps a great deal if you have DNA on file."
Opponents of expanded DNA database worry about privacy issues but Lt. Gov. Duffy says those concerns are unfounded and the state needs to do everything it can to prevent violent crimes.
“I can't think of anything more intrusive to have your life taken to be raped, assaulted and this change the governor is proposing will prevent future victims," said Lt. Gov. Duffy.
Lt. Gov. Duffy says the State Police crime lab has the ability to handle the approximately 7,000 new cases that would likely come from expanding the states DNA database. The State Senate has already approved the plan. If the assembly passes it, the new expanded DNA testing would go into effect on October 1st.
