Casework analysis of trace DNA sampling outcomes from driver controls of stolen vehicles compared to the period the vehicle was outstanding in the Australian Capital Territory

The forensic examination of recovered stolen motor vehicles (RSMVs) is an important part of the investigative process which involves sampling for trace deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from the driver controls. This study aimed to determine if there was a difference in the outcome of trace DNA swab samples from driver controls of RSMVs, based on the time period vehicles were outstanding in a casework context in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The final data used for statistical analysis consisted of 444 trace DNA swabs, collected in 2022, which found optimal DNA outcomes were obtained when an RSMV had been outstanding for a period between 3 and 14 days. Outside this period, meaningful results were still obtained, which can aid in the investigation of RSMV offences.