The Toronto Globe and Mail reports:

An inveterate watcher of the hit television series CSI, the 11-year-old victim knew all about the importance of DNA.... So ... [w]hen the man who had kidnapped and repeatedly raped her briefly fell asleep, the young girl picked up one of his cigarette butts and placed it in her pocket.

Not only that, aware of how easily evidence can be contaminated, she took care to pick it up with some leaves in her hand, ensuring that only her assailant's DNA would be present on the cigarette.

Yesterday, Crown prosecutor Howard Pontious paid tribute to the girl's remarkable presence of mind, after a judge in Vernon, B.C., convicted Paul Lepage of kidnapping, sexual assault and administering a drug to commit an indictable offence....

Thanks to Prof. Abigail Abraham for the pointer.