TN Legislature Considers Bill Inspired by Johnia's Murder

From Tricities.com:

Closer to home, an unsolved murder has two local lawmakers looking at legislation that would expand the state’s DNA database. Bristol native Johnia Berry, 21, was stabbed to death more than a year ago in Knoxville and no arrests have been made.

State Sen. Ron Ramsey and state Rep. Steve Godsey, both Republicans from Blountville, said they would like to change the law to allow law enforcement to take DNA samples from anyone who is arrested. If that person is later convicted, their DNA would be stored in the database. If not convicted, their DNA would be destroyed.

Both said expanding the state’s DNA database could help solve future crimes such as Berry’s death.

"It’s clearly a fact that a lot of the perpetrators of these crimes have done it before and were arrested for other things and charged with a lesser crime and they didn’t have any DNA to compare," Godsey said.

Although other states have similar laws, Ramsey said it would be tough to find a balance between a person’s civil liberties and law enforcement.

"There’s a civil liberties issue here," he said. "Where do you get to that line when you’re taking DNA from people who have not been convicted yet?"