Business
BY JOVANNA AGUILAR
Kristen Mittelman is Othram’s chief development ocer.
Solved cases Listed are recent missing persons cases solved and victims identied with Othram’s DNA testing and assistance. Cases solved by Othram can be found on the company’s website.
Othram forensic professionals help identify DNA in materials from unsolved cases.
PHOTOS COURTESY OTHRAM
Othram solves cold cases with advanced DNA testing
Mary Catherine Edwards
A former 31-year-old school teacher’s murderer and rapist was identied and convicted.
Using the latest genomic technologies, Othram founders Kristen and David Mittelman brought the biotechnology company to The Woodlands in September 2018 to help solve cold cases that could otherwise remain unsolved. “We are hoping to build tools that implement the latest genomic technologies, DNA tools and other tools that will help law enforcement be able to quickly get more information from a crime scene and be able to bring more certainty,” Kristen Mittelman said. In case you missed it Othram forensic professionals help identify human remains and resolve missing persons cases on a local, state and national level. The couple was inspired to bring the resource to the community based on their own experiences. “Most of us here have been a ected by crime, whether it’s someone we know very closely, someone in our family or ourselves here,” Kristen Mittelman said. With a team built of genomic scientists, forensic scientists, researchers and law enforcement, Othram builds proles for previously unidentied crime victims. Genomic scientists study and analyze genetic systems and specialize in building DNA proles, Kristen Mittelman said. The impact With millions of violent crimes identied
in the U.S. each year, Kristen Mittelman said although the FBI database system keeps records of convicted violent crime individuals, not every criminal is in the system. Kristen and David Mittelman said the company’s technology allows it to accurately run DNA during the rst round of testing. Initially inaccurate DNA testing can e ect the accuracy of the evidence, she said. Developed by Othram, the company uses Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to overcome previously impenetrable forensic DNA barriers and close unsolved cases. Using this process, Othram is able to overcome barriers such as DNA that has been contaminated or tampered with during the crime or over the
• Location: Beaumont • Crime occurred: 1995 • Case solved: March 20
Clarence Wilson
A homicide victim was identied after 37 years. • Location: Conroe • Body found: August 1986 • Identiied: 2023
A 1982 homicide victim was identied. • Location: Houston • Body found: 1982 • Identiied: 2022 John Howard Glatzel
course of time. By the numbers
Sherri Ann Jarvis
Kristen Mittelman said Othram is now able to solve about ve cases a day, and it has a total of over 1,000 cases solved since it was founded. “Oftentimes when we identify the perpetrator, it links to 12 other crimes, 10 other crimes, ve other crimes, and that’s not an exaggeration,” she said. With 1.2 million violent crimes identied in the U.S. per year, Othram provides advanced technol- ogy to help reduce the issue, she said. “I think we can live in a world where there are no more cold cases,” Kristen Mittelman said.
A 14-year-old was identied after four decades. • Location: Huntsville • Body found: 1980 • Identiied: 2021
Jolaine Hemmy
A drowning victim was identied after more than 50 years as a Jane Doe. • Location: Pecos • Body found: 1966 • Identiied: 2021
SOURCE: OTHRAMCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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