A couple of articles on forensic DNA matches

A freakonomics blog piece on the FBI's DNA match probabilities (via Genome-technology). There is also some interesting correspondence (1,2,3) in Nature Reviews Genetics on the reliability and use of Low Copy Number DNA forensic profiling (i.e. using trace amounts of DNA), which briefly discusses the difficulties posed by contamination and allele drop out. When I get a minute I'll have to go and read the statistical background and recommendations on this.