Agenda at a Glance
Tuesday, June 25
7:00 am - 4:00 pm Registration
7:00 am - 8:00 am Breakfast (for workshop participants)
8:00 am - 12:15 pm Workshops (details below)
12:15 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch (for workshop participants)
1:00 pm - 5:15 pm Workshops
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm Welcome Reception
Wednesday, June 26
7:15 am - 12:00 pm Registration
7:00 am - 8:00 am Breakfast (included with General Session registration)
8:00 am - 12:00 pm General Session, including Keynote Speaker Amanda Knox (details below)
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch (included with General Session registration)
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm General Session
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Special Event
Thursday, June 27
7:00 am - 8:00 am Breakfast (included with General Session registration)
8:00 am - 12:00 pm General Session
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch (included with General Session registration)
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm General Session
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Group Event/Dinner: The Painted Pin
Friday, June 28
7:00 am - 8:00 am Breakfast (for workshop registrants)
8:00 am - 12:00 pm Workshop
12:30 pm Conference Concludes
'Truth Matters': Knox to Share Her Harrowing
Fight for Justice
Between 2007 and 2015, Amanda Knox spent four years in an Italian prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn’t commit. The scandal made headlines for nearly a decade, as Amanda, dubbed “Foxy Knoxy,” was exploited by the media and judged by the masses on a global scale. Though she was exonerated by Italy’s highest court, she was sentenced to life by the court of public opinion, forever branded as a killer despite her innocence.
Since her exoneration, she has fought to reclaim her identity and to find meaning in those stolen years and unjust incarceration, all while advocating for a more just legal system and a more ethical media.
Thoughtful, passionate, and revelatory, Amanda Knox has captivated audiences across the country and abroad, sharing the wisdom she learned the hard way about how to find resilience in the face of tremendous adversity.
She is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, Waiting to Be Heard, and co-host, with her husband Christopher Robinson, of the podcast Labyrinths.
Workshops from:
Bode 2024 Workshop Details
Tuesday, June 25th
8:00 am - 10:00 am
Unraveling the Daniel Ray Skaggs Case
Speakers:
Ryan Berry, Assistant District Attorney in the 20th Circuit District
Deedra Hughes, Assistant Director/State CODIS Administrator for the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory
Teresa Vreeland, Director of Forensic Genealogy Services, Bode Technology
The Daniel Ray Skaggs case presents a complex web of circumstances, spanning decades of roadblocks and hard work. This workshop offers a rare opportunity to dissect the methodologies, challenges and breakthroughs encountered over the three-decade effort to identify the unknown male; led by key players in the case resolution from the initial investigation through prosecution.
The collaborative approach and importance of interdisciplinary cooperation will be highlighted from the collection of evidence, DNA testing and CODIS upload, forensic investigative genetic genealogy, victim communications to case prosecution/resolution.
This workshop will encourage, educate, and provoke thoughts on the fascinating intersection of DNA and criminal investigations.
Tuesday, June 25th
10:15am - 12:15pm
Thermo Fisher Scientific Workshop
Dive into the strategies that help you make the most of your resources and save valuable time. In this session we'll share insights from forensic DNA practitioners who have successfully harnessed the power of innovative workflow solutions to enhance laboratory effectiveness and solve crimes more efficiently. Discover best practices that can transform your forensic DNA workflow and empower your laboratory to solve crimes, exonerate the innocent, and identify the missing.
Tuesday, June 25th
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Promega Tech Tour
Please join us for presentations and discussions on the latest advances in STR analysis and the forensics workflow. This workshop will feature presentations by leaders in the forensics community who will provide information and tips on maximizing success with challenging samples and improving laboratory efficiencies through workflow enhancements. The presentations will also include customer experiences and insights from using Promega products.
Tuesday, June 25th
3:15pm - 5:15pm
NicheVision Forensics
This workshop covers critical steps for implementing massively parallel sequencing (MPS) methods for forensic DNA analysis. Covered topics include:
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Validating laboratory analytical thresholds and stutter ratios
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Analyzing MPS data, with special emphasis on mixed samples
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Interpreting mixed samples using binary analysis within MixtureAce™ and exporting profiles for interpretation by probabilistic genotyping using STRmix NGS™
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Analyzing mixed mitochondrial samples
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Library preparation using IDseek™ reverse complement PCR, including the OmniSTR™ autosomal STR kit, and the mYSTR™ YSTR kit.
Software implementing these processes will be demonstrated. Covered software includes:
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MixtureAce™ QT for establishing analytical thresholds
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StutterModeler™ for establishing stutter ratios and allele-specific stutter models
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MixtureAce™ for analyzing single source and mixed STR profiles
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MixtureAce™ MT for analyzing mixed mitochondrial profiles.
The streamlined IDseek™ library preparation technique will be demonstrated via video. The IDseek™ technology workflow is much simpler than traditional workflows and generates well-balanced profiles.
Friday, June 28th
8:00am - 12:00pm
ANDE
Description coming soon
