The perpetrator of the murder was arrested after 26 years. When he was 22, he killed a work colleague. That's what the police and prosecutor's office claimed, but there were no witnesses or fingerprints. It was also not possible to test the DNA. Times have changed, the opportunity is already there. So what trail were the X-Files cops following?
He was 22 years old when he committed the crime. Now he is almost 50 years old. He tried not to remember the mistakes of his youth. The police reminded him of them when they came to arrest him.
The case was discontinued long ago. There were no witnesses or evidence
– Michał Z. was surprised by the whole situation. He generally recalled the incident, but refused to cooperate with us, says the operational officer of the X-Files police group.
According to the police, 26 years ago Michał Z. killed his friend during an argument. The case was discontinued long ago. There were no witnesses or fingerprints of the killer. A breakthrough in the investigation occurred when police officers from a special department – the archives of the 10th Police Headquarters – took care of it. – We were able to identify the perpetrator by repeated genetic tests of items recovered at the scene of the incident – explains Szymon Banna from the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw. A genetic code was extracted from a small trace of the killer's blood, which led the police to the perpetrator. – In 1998, he was not involved in the case, he was not questioned, no one really knew about his existence – says the operational officer. Now Michał Z. will answer for the crime.
New forensic techniques make it possible to determine the color of eyes or hair
Almost 30 years ago, when the murder occurred, the police did not have the opportunity to test DNA. Now, thanks to modern investigative methods, more can be done. Even small DNA traces allow us to identify the basic features of the perpetrator's image, which allows us to narrow down the group of suspects.
A cruel crime in Łódź. The attacker faces life imprisonmentMarzanna Zielińska/Fakty TVN
– This is a new technology that involves the use of modern techniques allowing for marking and determining, for example, eye color, hair color, skin color – explains Sub-Inspector Żaneta Makowska from the Genetic Testing Department of the Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police. New forensic techniques are used by all departments of the X-Files, including in each provincial police headquarters. – We analyze such a case. We decide whether there is anything worth keeping an eye on – describes the operational officer.
Cases are being closed more and more often, such as the murder from years ago in Warsaw. – These undetected crimes mean a lack of justice for the victim and the victim's family, so it is primarily a great satisfaction for the policemen who restore this justice – sums up Junior Inspector Katarzyna Nowak from the Police Headquarters.
Main photo source: Police Headquarters