DNA from a Necklace
Quick Facts:
- A man was killed in the parking lot of a grocery store.
- The perpetrator grabbed and yanked two necklaces off the man; one necklace was dropped and remained at the scene.
- The crime scene investigator used a Bardole method approach and the M-Vac® to get DNA off the necklace.
- Results were sufficient for uploading to CODIS.
- The perpetrator has been tried and sentenced.
Synopsis:
On March 17, 2020, just as the Covid pandemic was shutting down the country, Ivan Lugo was killed right in a very public grocery store parking lot in Florida. Mr. Lugo was in town visiting and helping his parents. He walked from their home to the store to settle up a bill and buy some desserts. As he began to walk home, he was talking to his girlfriend on the phone, and a man started following him. The suspect likely tried to rob Mr. Lugo, but when he fought back, the suspect simply shot him. Mr. Lugo was wearing a couple of necklaces, which may have been the attraction for the robber, because after the shot, he grabbed them off the victim and ran off. However, one of the necklaces dropped and was found at the scene. Mr. Lugo was dead before they got him to the hospital.
The evidence found at the scene included grocery bags (which the suspect never touched,) a spent shell cartridge (which was unsuccessfully processed for DNA,) and the necklace. The necklaces were thick rope chains which required quite a grip to pull them free. They also sat on top of the wearer's shirt, so that the wearer DNA was not too overbearing. The crime scene investigator confirmed ownership of the necklaces by checking with pictures the parents had of their son wearing them. She knew swabbing the necklace wouldn't work because the necklace would be too abrasive and ruin the swab. She contacted an M-Vac® user at a neighboring agency, who loaned her an M-Vac® and walked her through how to use it (over the phone because of Covid restrictions.) She used a Bardole method approach, swirling the liquid by hand for 15 minutes at a time, three times, because she didn't have an agitator. She also ran the M-Vac® head over the necklace. The clasp had fortunately broken off the necklace - fortunately because that part of a necklace typically has the most victim DNA - so in this case that mixture could be minimized. She filtered the solution and sent it off to the lab with a prayer.
The results from the lab were sufficient to upload to the national CODIS registry. There was no victim DNA with the results. The perpetrator has been tried and sentenced for the crime.
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Sources:
Interview with CSI March 2026