NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Last week, a judge made a major ruling in the case against alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, allowing DNA evidence obtained on several of his alleged victims to be used at trial.

The evidence had been challenged by defense attorneys because the method used to obtain it has not been tested in a New York court.

Now the method could be used in other cases.

John Jay College of Criminal Justice studies genetic variations among individuals which is a vital tool used by scientists on evidence gathered from crime scenes.

For the Gilgo Beach murders, it's different because for the first time in New York state history, a Suffolk County judge is allowing a technologically advanced DNA testing technique called 'Whole Genome Sequencing' into a murder trial.

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