A hair, just one fake hair is all it took to bring Hadden Clark, the killer of Laura Houghteling, to justice. The real question that is raised in this case: how on earth does one strand of hair lead to a psychotic killer being brought to justice?
To learn the answer to this question, all you need to know are three famous names: James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins. If you want to know the topic really well, then you would also need to recognize a lesser-known name: Rosiland Franklin. If one is not familiar with them already, these are the names of the four scientists who solved the case of Laura Houghteling — well, not really. These four scientists discovered and unearthed the key in solving Laura’s case and all the other causes solved by DNA analysis.
By discovering the double helical structure of DNA, they opened many doors in the forensic science world. The structure of DNA allows us to know the structure of RNA, a single-stranded “messenger” that helps in the process of protein synthesis. These discoveries opened up the whole forensic field for us, which helped in solving the mysterious murder of Laura Houghteling.
Using the hair piece found in Laura Houghteling’s hair brush and analyzing the molecular structure of the hair particle, detectives and police found out that the hair strand is actually a synthetic fiber, kanekalon. This made the investigation into the killer of Laura Haddinton rocket forward, helping the police turn up lead after lead after lead. Thanks to DNA and forensic analysis, DNA helped bring Laura Houghteling’s death to justice.
By Tvesha Patel ‘27, Photography Editor
