He was referring to the Georgia man whose life was scarred by police publicity incorrectly linking him to the 1996 Olympics bombing in Atlanta.
Yale has not commented on its private investigation.
The only public mention of DNA analysis in the Jovin case came in 2001, when police asked friends and acquaintances to submit genetic samples for comparison against the unmatched DNA found in Jovin’s nail scrapings.
Jovin’s case was reopened in 2007. No new evidence or leads have been reported. Assistant State’s Attorney James Clark said neither he nor his investigators would comment.
A month after Jovin’s murder, Van de Velde says Yale fired him — canceling his classes, refusing to renew his contract and telling him to stay away from students.
Angry and demoralized, he left town and went to Washington, where he worked for three years as an analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency. He now works for a private firm, analyzing counterterrorism data.
“I was destroyed,” Van de Velde said. “Naming someone Jovin knew served the interests of Yale, which wanted to dissuade the public that [she] was perhaps killed by a random act of violence,” which would have raised questions about security on campus.
He has filed a civil suit against the university and New Haven police, alleging his civil rights were violated.
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