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Samantha Hayes Reporting"Stuart Smith: "But anytime there's evidence in a case, we are willing to look at it and maybe solve a crime."
The State Crime lab has one goal, to solve crimes, some of them very old. The latest technology is helping scientists and police officers crack the case more often.
Yesterday, what may be evidence in an old murder case was pulled out of the Jordan River and now it is likely that material is under the microscope of the state crime lab.
Without knowing exactly what divers discovered yesterday we can only speculate as to what kinds of things crime technicians would be looking for when examining old evidence. This evidence would be very old, more than two decades under water, but scientists say that does not make it impossible.
It would be interesting to know what led to police to the Jordan River after so many years. It was clear they were looking for something, a piece of evidence that might help solve a cold murder case. One officer told us it may involve a girl who disappeared in West Valley City in 1985. But after more than two decades- under water- could anything they find be usable?
Director of the State Crime Lab Stuart Smith-says absolutely.
Stuart Smith, State Crime Lab Director: "Of course everyone watches CSI, and of course we can do almost anything and clearly evident by what's on TV. There are some limitations depending on the quality you find and our work is based on hard science."
Before detectives finished up at the river Thursday, a piece of rusty metal was discovered. A detective said it might be from a gun. Smith says rust can make the examination more difficult, but not impossible.
Stuart Smith: "We can strip that rust away and tell the make and model of the weapon the caliber we might be fortunate enough to track that back. It all just depends on the condition we find it in."
Every gun has what's called lands and grooves in the barrel. They are specific to the make and model of the weapon. It's another way police can match the bullets to the gun.
Stuart Smith: "All are distinctive and narrow, at least the type of the weapon down. So if you know the bullet and had that info from the gun you could put a type and a class together."
No word today from Salt Lake City police on any hard developments in the case.
