Friday, July 12, 2013

Authorities exhume DeSalvo's body for DNA evidence


PEABODY, Mass. (WHDH) -- Pictures showed the body of Albert DeSalvo exhumed from the Puritan Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Peabody back in October of 2001 by an independent team who looked into the case of the man dubbed the Boston Strangler.


Now by court order and 12 years later, DeSalvo's body was being exhumed again. This time prosecutors looked to make a 100 percent DNA match between DeSalvo and murder victim Mary Sullivan.


Attorney Elaine Whitfield Sharp who has represented the Desalvo's for 13 years said the family isn't happy about the exhumation.


"To unnecessarily exhume a body is unkind. It's unnecessary. It's unfair," said Whitfield Sharp.


Prosecutors and police don't think it's unfair. When they needed a DNA sample to tie Albert DeSalvo to the murder of Mary Sullivan, they had an undercover officer tail DeSalvo's nephew until he threw out a water bottle.


"I assigned Sergeant Brian Albert from our fugitive squad, who is an expert in surveillance, to follow individuals around until one of them discarded a water bottle. That water bottle was tested and the match came back," said Commissioner Ed Davis, Boston Police Dept.


"It gives you a chilling feeling the government is spying and prying on you, creepily and sneakily to get your DNA," Whitfield Sharp said.


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