Repository Collection 03
DNA Mislabeled in Murder Case
ARTICLE SOURCE ENTRY
Last Revised • July 4, 2026
This Source Verification Page documents a newspaper article cited in the Supplemental Motion for which the original published text has not yet been recovered. The article's existence, title, author, publication date, and underlying subject matter have been independently verified through archived publication records and multiple secondary sources discussing the underlying SBI forensic reporting error. These materials collectively support the citation presented in the Supplemental Motion and have been preserved pending recovery of the original newspaper article.
Related SMAR Citation
"See also "DNA Mislabeled in Murder Case", Winston-Salem Journal, August 28, 2005"
Source Name
DNA Mislabeled in Murder Case
Author(s)
Phoebe Zerwick
Publication(s)
Winston-Salem Journal
Publication Date
August 28, 2005
Verification Source
Secondary citations discussing the article and the underlying SBI analyst error.
Source Location
News & Observer special report on SBI laboratory practices
Highlighted Pages
Genetic Witness: Cover, Copyright Page, 205, 244
Forensic Science and Capital Punishment Reform: Cover, 366
Referenced in the Supplemental Motion
Page 13, Paragraph 17
Source Status
✔ Article existence verified through multiple sources
✔ Relevant supporting passages highlighted
✔ Publicly available verification sources
✔ Verification sources included within the Source Verification Archive
Cited to Support
Lyle C. May alleges that the forensic evidence presented in his Buncombe County prosecution arising from the July 1997 murders in Asheville, North Carolina warrants heightened scrutiny because SBI analyst Brenda Bissette participated in the testing and reporting. The Winston-Salem Journal article is cited to document reporting that DNA evidence was mislabeled in a murder case involving Bissette's forensic work. May relies upon this source to support his claim that the analyst whose work contributed to the forensic evidence presented at his trial was later associated with significant laboratory errors, raising questions about the reliability of forensic testing performed by the SBI Crime Laboratory.
Supporting Documents
Archived Original Publication
Archived URL confirming the existence and publication of the original Winston-Salem Journal article.
Secondary Verification Source
Aronson, Jay D.
Genetic Witness: Science, Law, and Controversy in the Making of DNA Profiling
Secondary Verification Source
Craig M. Cooley
Forensic Science and Capital Punishment Reform: An "Intellectually Honest" Assessment
Highlighted Research Copy
Working research copies of both sources containing the highlighted passages cited in the Supplemental Motion.
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