Identical twins, suspects of the same crime for sharing DNA
$6.8 million worth of jewelry were snatched from the cases of Kaufhaus des Westens, a luxurious seven-story department store. Three masked, gloved thieves were caught on surveillance cameras sliding down ropes from the store's skylights, outsmarting its sophisticated security system.
That night they got away, but they did leave evidence: DNA, found in a drop of sweat on a latex glove discarded next to a rope ladder used to reach the ground floor. Police ran the material through the German crime database. And they got a hit — two in fact.
The computer identified 27-year-old Lebanese identical twins Hassan and Abbas O. Police arrested the brothers and charged both with burglary, an offense that carries a potential 10-year prison sentence. But later on, before the case went to trial, they were released.
Here's the thing: the authorities had no choice, as the court ruling made clear: "From the evidence we have, we can deduce that at least one of the brothers took part in the crime, but it has not been possible to determine which one." The German law doesn't allow to detain someone indefinitely just because he is suspected of a crime. Police will continue to keep an eye on them, hoping to be led to the loot. But with the brothers' arrest warrants suspended, they are free to travel, and the authorities cannot tap their phone lines or keep tabs on their bank accounts.
That night they got away, but they did leave evidence: DNA, found in a drop of sweat on a latex glove discarded next to a rope ladder used to reach the ground floor. Police ran the material through the German crime database. And they got a hit — two in fact.
The computer identified 27-year-old Lebanese identical twins Hassan and Abbas O. Police arrested the brothers and charged both with burglary, an offense that carries a potential 10-year prison sentence. But later on, before the case went to trial, they were released.
Here's the thing: the authorities had no choice, as the court ruling made clear: "From the evidence we have, we can deduce that at least one of the brothers took part in the crime, but it has not been possible to determine which one." The German law doesn't allow to detain someone indefinitely just because he is suspected of a crime. Police will continue to keep an eye on them, hoping to be led to the loot. But with the brothers' arrest warrants suspended, they are free to travel, and the authorities cannot tap their phone lines or keep tabs on their bank accounts.
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