In Columbia, South Carolina, legislators were briefed by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) on how scientific advancements are playing a pivotal role in solving violent crimes across the state. From linking shootings that span different counties to reopening long-forgotten cold cases, technology is transforming law enforcement efforts.

SLED officials highlighted how cutting-edge developments in DNA analysis and firearms technology are redefining the pursuit of justice within the Palmetto State.

The state’s specialized Firearms Identification and DNA Database Units are essential tools for detectives as they piece together complex crime puzzles.

“Most of our suspects are under the legal age to own a firearm,” noted Suzann Cromer, an expert with SLED’s Firearm and Tool Mark and Department of Forensic Services Laboratory.

Forensic examiners meticulously analyze the minute markings on bullets, which are then entered into a national database. This system can connect various shootings and identify weapons involved in multiple incidents, greatly aiding in crime-solving efforts.

SLED Chief Mark Keel said this technology has been especially critical in drive-by shooting investigations.

“If nobody’s there but shell casings are in road… you pick them up and get them to us, because generally that gun has been somewhere else in that county or in an adjoining county. We can’t tell you who used it, but we can tell another agency that entered shell casings that was similar and was fired from the same weapon, and put those agencies together,” said Keel.

Across the hall, DNA experts focus on who committed the crime. Through the state’s DNA database, which connects to the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), SLED scientists have helped solve cases many once thought impossible.

That includes a 1980 Beaufort County murder and sexual assault case, solved decades later when a DNA sample from a 2016 arrest produced a match identifying the killer.

“Rapid DNA instruments aren’t as cost-effective as traditional analysis,” said Keel. “But rapid DNA gives you efficiencies in time.”

Last year alone, SLED’s DNA team analyzed more than 14,000 samples, while the firearms unit tested over 1,300 guns — connecting crimes across 54 agencies and three states.

SLED officials said these scientific advances are about more than just evidence, they’re about delivering justice faster and bringing long-awaited answers to victims’ families.