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Familial DNA and Cold Cases

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  • Familial DNA and Cold Cases

    It seems almost every day we read about some cold case being solved by DNA evidence. Sometimes the evidence was collected before the advent of DNA technology. Other times evidence which yielded nothing to older DNA testing has now been retested with newer DNA technology and has identified the criminal. Recently Jon Benet Ramsey's family was exhonerated when newer DNA technology found an unknown person's DNA on her clothing.

    With reference to JTR we have often discussed DNA evidence but have always come up against a brick wall. Nobody was swabbing cheeks and creating databases in 1888. Even if we could exhume a victim and by some miracle find a single cell from JTR still clinging to her body, there would be nothing to compare it to.

    But what about familial DNA? If a sample could be obtained from one of the victims would JTR's descendents or relatives pop up in a modern database? Familial DNA was used to catch Dennis Rader. This morning I read that DNA databases are now being used to predict the surname of an offender with a fairly high degree of accuracy.

  • #2
    I waited too long to edit the last post but here is an interesting link. Scroll down to the bottom.

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    • #3
      Interesting question.However I hardly think now living descendants would be too happy to be exposed as being descendants of a notorious serial killer.
      Unless they turn out to be extreme attention-seekers,that is.To me it sounds like a question of the integrity/privacy of the now living.

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      • #4
        Your concern for privacy is a valid one, however, people don't get into DNA databases without being a criminal. Once they have crossed that line they forfeit at least some of their rights.

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