If you read my last article, you would know that DNA is not 100 percent foolproof and it might lie.

The Lydia Fairchild case raises numerous questions about the reliability of DNA in relation to investigations and prosecutions, amongst other things.

Current research indicates that there are less than one hundred cases of human chimerism. This would indicate that many people do not have this condition and law enforcement is not likely to come across it. However, in my search of the internet, I found research that indicates these numbers may be growing. More genetic counseling and testing is being done by members of the scientific community. For example, testing is done to predict the path of cancer, prepare for an organ transplant, or establish paternity, or maternity in Lydia’s case. This increase in testing will no doubt help establish the true number of chimeras in the human population.

Assuming there is an increase in numbers following technological and medical advancements, law enforcement and attorneys may have to re-evaluate their procedures and tactics. They may have defendants claiming to have chimerism or there may be cases of someone with actual chimerism who gets away. An analyst may find two types of DNA at a crime scene and assume they are from two separate individuals, as would be common. They would have no way of knowing they came from a single individual.

There are numerous scenarios to play out here but someone has already tried to get out of a case by claiming they have chimerism. In 2004, world-famous cyclist and Olympian Tyler Hamilton was accused of blood doping in order to increase his endurance during the Summer Olympics and Tour de Spain. Testing showed two different types of red blood cells in his system, essentially sealing his fate. Yet, Tyler Hamilton claimed he was a chimera and this could all be explained away. You see, he had a twin that died in utero but he received some of his twin’s stem cells. In the end, however, his defense tactic failed. This case only sheds light on the potential possibilities surrounding chimerism and the law.

All said and done, however, this does not mean the sky is falling and chaos is imminent. It only illuminates how limited we are with our current knowledge and what more can be done.

What does this mean for you as a writer?

The possibilities are endless! I’ve already shared some ideas above, as well as two separate and vastly different cases surrounding human chimerism. For mystery, suspense, thriller writers, and more, the discovery and cases of human chimerism show that this medical condition can add a significant twist to your story. Perhaps you may choose to write about the aftermath of such a case or a jury that debates the merits of it. Maybe you follow a serial killer who is only getting away with their crimes due to their chimerism.

I’m excited to see what authors come up with and how it is expertly worked into storylines.