Our Team
Director of Laboratory Development
Daniel holds an M.S. in Forensic Science and is a 20+ year veteran of both Public and Private Crime Forensic DNA Laboratories. He has served as a DNA analyst, technical leader and in executive management of Forensic DNA laboratories over that time. He has provided training to hundreds of Forensic DNA labs and conferences on a variety of different topics. Armed with a black belt certification in Lean/Six Sigma process improvement and extensive experience in both quality and operational leadership, he provides executive oversight, develops and maintains laboratory partnerships, case consultation and directs the future development of the laboratory.
Daniel Hellwig
Director of Laboratory Operations
Derek brings 10+ years of Forensic DNA experience to the Intermountain Forensics Laboratory. He has a Lean/Six Sigma green belt and boasts an amazingly efficient and quality driven interpretation, analysis and review process that he has honed over the years. This has allowed him to author over 3000 Forensic DNA laboratory reports and testify in cases over 40+ times all over the United States from Hawaii to Alaska and Georgia to Michigan.
Derek's approach to Forensic DNA Analysis and Review will be a staple of the laboratory, maximizing our quality and efficiency. He provides executive management, continuous improvement to operational excellence for the laboratory and staff.
Derek Cutler
Sara Walker
Forensic DNA Technical Leader
Sara has 15+ years of experience in both technical and leadership roles, where she has served as Quality Manager, DNA Technical Leader and Forensic Biology Manager. She oversaw compliance to ISO17025, ISO 17020 and the FBI Quality Assurance Standards with the Allegheny County Medical Examiner.
She holds certifications as a ANAB Technical Assessor, FBI Quality Assurance Standards Auditor, American Board of Criminalistics-Molecular Biology certification, Certified Forensic Manager (II) and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
As the Forensic DNA Technical Leader of Intermountain Forensics, Sara leads the executive management of the laboratory's quality management system and ensures our continued adherence to both ISO 17025 Accreditation and FBI Quality Assurance Standards.
Kevin Lord
Director of Bioinformatics
Kevin has performed bioinformatics analysis of sequencing data for hundreds of samples for the purpose of investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) that has resulted in over 70 case "solves". This includes many extremely challenging unidentified human remains cases, providing usable genotype files leading to identifications of decedents from the as old as the 19th century. He has been involved with the field of investigative genetic genealogy since nearly the beginning, joining DNA Doe Project in 2018.
Through his various roles over the years, he has gained a deep understanding of all facets of IGG. In addition to performing bioinformatics, he has also acted as case manager for many dozens of cases through various lab pipelines and has performed genetic genealogy research that has led to many successful identifications.
He has been featured in media outlets such as Dateline, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Citizen PI, NewsNation Prime, and the Texas Observer.
![KevinLord-headshot[98].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/60113e_460fa5d97d8e491aa2e1b18393dd7389~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_123,h_123,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/60113e_460fa5d97d8e491aa2e1b18393dd7389~mv2.png)
Alison Wilde
Director of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG)
Alison is the creator of several custom methodologies, such as the AP-SCREEN and L-SCREEN systems for verifying and identifying biological family using autosomal DNA relative matches. Alison specializes in relationship probabilities, DNA segment analysis, and investigative lead assessment. She is frequently contacted for mentoring and consultation on these items, as well as her knowledge of Kintelligence and traditional genealogy research strategies. Alison is currently leading several teams of genetic genealogists working on forensic/investigative cases, including the effort to identify burials tied to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Alison Wilde
Director of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG)
Alison is the creator of several custom methodologies, such as the AP-SCREEN and L-SCREEN systems for verifying and identifying biological family using autosomal DNA relative matches. Alison specializes in relationship probabilities, DNA segment analysis, and investigative lead assessment. She is frequently contacted for mentoring and consultation on these items, as well as her knowledge of Kintelligence and traditional genealogy research strategies. Alison is currently leading several teams of genetic genealogists working on forensic/investigative cases, including the effort to identify burials tied to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Alison Wilde
Director of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG)
Alison is the creator of several custom methodologies, such as the AP-SCREEN and L-SCREEN systems for verifying and identifying biological family using autosomal DNA relative matches. Alison specializes in relationship probabilities, DNA segment analysis, and investigative lead assessment. She is frequently contacted for mentoring and consultation on these items, as well as her knowledge of Kintelligence and traditional genealogy research strategies. Alison is currently leading several teams of genetic genealogists working on forensic/investigative cases, including the effort to identify burials tied to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Deborah Dilley
Executive Director
Deborah comes to Intermountain Forensics with over 17 years of experience of non-profit program development and financial management. Learning how to bridge the divide between the programmatic world and that of administration, Deborah has worked as a consultant with a variety of small local non-profits to streamline their services and increase their fundraising capacity. As a community educator, Deborah has advocated for marginalized communities by providing trauma-informed training and technical assistance to individuals, organizations and agencies who provide services for the disability community and for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. She has extensive experience in identifying gaps in services for underserved communities and in facilitating public policy initiatives to creating community capacity to address those needs.
Alison Wilde
Director of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG)
Alison is the creator of several custom methodologies, such as the AP-SCREEN and L-SCREEN systems for verifying and identifying biological family using autosomal DNA relative matches. Alison specializes in relationship probabilities, DNA segment analysis, and investigative lead assessment. She is frequently contacted for mentoring and consultation on these items, as well as her knowledge of Kintelligence and traditional genealogy research strategies. Alison is currently leading several teams of genetic genealogists working on forensic/investigative cases, including the effort to identify burials tied to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Alison Wilde
Director of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG)
Alison is the creator of several custom methodologies, such as the AP-SCREEN and L-SCREEN systems for verifying and identifying biological family using autosomal DNA relative matches. Alison specializes in relationship probabilities, DNA segment analysis, and investigative lead assessment. She is frequently contacted for mentoring and consultation on these items, as well as her knowledge of Kintelligence and traditional genealogy research strategies. Alison is currently leading several teams of genetic genealogists working on forensic/investigative cases, including the effort to identify burials tied to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Jodie Perkins
Forensic Molecular Biologist
Jodie has over fifteen years of Biotechnology laboratory experience with an extensive background that ranges from working on the detection of Bio-Threat, to DNA testing/sequencing, fragment analysis, NGS, Clinical Diagnostics, to working in Research and Development to achieve new and innovative clinical testing methods and processes. She brings immense experience with laboratory robotics & instrumentation and the troubleshooting and maintenance thereof. Jodie thrives on being organized and operating a laboratory with highly controlled processes and procedures and has years of experience utilizing Lean/Six Sigma principles and methods. As a Forensic Molecular Biologist at Intermountain Forensics, Jodie performs laboratory testing, process controls, evaluating and revising SOP's as needed, instrumentation maintenance and quality control, as well as the organization of the overall laboratory.
