Dog’s DNA Helps Convict 2 of Murders

Two men were convicted of murder in Seattle in what is believed to be the first U.S. criminal trial in which DNA from a dog was introduced as evidence. Kenneth John Leuluaialii and George Tuilefano, both 24, were accused of killing a young couple and their dog after kicking in the front door of the couple’s home and demanding marijuana, cocaine or cash. To bolster witness accounts, prosecutors presented evidence that two jackets and a pair of pants linked to the defendants bore bloodstains from the dog, Chief. The pit bull-Labrador mix died 30 hours after the attack on Dec. 9, 1996.