Poeschel murder trial finds DNA match

DNA profiling carried out on the body of a young German woman revealed a match with that of the man accused of her murder, a jury at the Central Criminal court heard today.

Head of the DNA unit at Garda Headquarters, Dr Maureen Smyth, told the court that the DNA profile from sperm cells found on the body of Ms Bettina Poeschel matched that of the accused, Mr Michael Murphy.

“DNA profiling on the higher vaginal swabs showed the presence of body fluids from more than one person,” she said.

The minor element of the DNA profile matched that of Ms Poeschel while “the major profile matched that of Michael Murphy”,she told prosecuting counsel Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC.

Dr Smyth was giving evidence in the fourth week of the trial of Mr Murphy (42) of Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, Co Louth, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 28-year-old Ms Bettina Poeschel (28) at Donore, Co Meath, on or between September 25 and October 17, 2001.

Ms Poeschel, on a six-day trip from Munich, Germany, disappeared while walking to Newgrange on September 25. Her body was later found in dense undergrowth by gardaí at Donore on October 17.

The jury heard that Mr Murphy’s DNA profile was extracted from a sample of his head hair, while some muscle tissue from Ms Poeschel’s leg was used to extract her DNA profile. “I extracted DNA from the samples from Bettina Poeschel,” said Dr Smyth.

The vaginal swabs taken from Ms Poeschel’s body were then tested and revealed the presence of both DNA profiles. “The DNA profile from the higher vaginal swabs showed the presence of profiles of more than one person,” she added.

The forensic scientist estimated there was a “less than one in a thousand million” chance that someone else could share the same DNA profile as Mr Murphy.

However, she did add that there was a one in thirty thousand chance that one of Mr Murphy’s brothers could share the same DNA profile.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, Dr Smyth said the relatives most likely to share the DNA profile found on Ms Poeschel ’s body “would be Michael Murphy’s brothers”, who would have shared the same gene pool as him.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Aindrias O’Caoimh and a jury of seven men and five women.