Panties found with Denison’s body did not have DNA belonging to suspect

RENO -- DNA on a pair of women's panties found with the body of Brianna Denison did not belong to the serial rapist suspected of killing her as was earlier reported, but investigators remain convinced that he's the one who left the underwear there, police said Monday.

Denison's body was found Feb. 15 in a field near a southwest Reno business park. Reno police first disclosed on Feb. 19 that the DNA of an unknown woman was on the pair of thong underwear along with the DNA of the serial rapist who kidnapped and strangled the 19-year-old college student.

But Reno Police Lt. Robert McDonald said Monday that the DNA belongs to an unknown male and female. He provided little explanation of the mix-up other than to say that "somebody was misinformed" previously.

Independent of the underwear, DNA has linked Denison's killer to the sexually motivated attacks of at least two college women in the area, one in November and another in December.

"We still have a forensic connection by DNA to Brianna and the two previous attacks, the abduction scene and the scene where Brianna was found," he told The Associated Press.