All articles tagged with #genetic genealogy
Partial remains found on Salmon Creek Beach in 2022 have been identified as Walter Kinney, a Santa Rosa banker who disappeared in 1999, after investigators used genetic genealogy and GEDmatch to link the bones to Kinney and to earlier remains washed ashore in 1999; the case is notable for resolving a missing-person mystery twice with breakthrough help from the DNA Doe Project.
Nancy Guthrie has been missing for 45 days, and investigators say the lack of meaningful new leads has made the case harder to sustain; while surveillance video from her Tucson home shows non-suspicious activity and hasn’t captured the suspect, the FBI’s doorbell image remains the only clear shot of the suspect. Investigators continue DNA analysis via forensic genetic genealogy, a slow process, as they chase thousands of tips and a $1 million reward without a clear breakthrough.
DNA recovered from Nancy Guthrie's Tucson home is described as low-level and may not yield a clean, usable profile for comparison in FBI or private databases; investigators say enhancement is possible but could take longer. A Florida lab is analyzing the samples as the case remains unresolved, with no suspects named. A DNA profile from gloves found near the home did not match the FBI’s CODIS. Authorities are turning to genetic genealogy via GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA, both using opt-in consent. Rewards total up to $1 million for information, in addition to a $100,000 FBI reward.
Three weeks after Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Tucson home, CNN outlines a visual guide to the evidence: surveillance footage shows a masked man at the door attempting to block Guthrie’s Nest camera, investigators recovered a backpack and gloves, DNA found on Guthrie’s property has no matches in CODIS, and ransom notes are being scrutinized with genetic genealogy as a potential next step. A private donor has added a $100,000 reward and authorities have boosted the reward to $100,000, bringing total offers to $200,000 as investigators pursue tips and leads.
Investigators in the Nancy Guthrie case in Tucson are pursuing genetic genealogy to turn DNA evidence into a suspect lead, a method credited with solving the Golden State Killer and other cases; a DNA sample from gloves near her home did not match CODIS, and authorities are also reviewing commercial databases as they analyze additional biological evidence; experts say this approach builds family trees from relatives to identify suspects, though questions about privacy linger.
A decades-old skeleton found on a Taholah beach in Grays Harbor County in 2006 has been identified as Clarence Edwin 'Ed' Asher, the former mayor of Fossil, Oregon, after DNA analysis by Othram and a genetic genealogy investigation confirmed by a relative.
Lawrence police arrested David Zimbrick, a suspect linked to child sexual assault cases from 2000 and 2003, using DNA evidence and genetic genealogy technology similar to that used in the Golden State Killer case, after decades of investigation.
Decades after Robin Lawrence's brutal 1994 murder in Virginia, DNA evidence and genetic genealogy led to the arrest of Stephan Smerk, a man who confessed to the crime, bringing closure to a case that had gone cold for years.
The 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders in Austin, Texas, where four teenage girls were brutally killed, have been solved after 34 years using modern DNA and genetic genealogy techniques, leading to the identification of Robert Eugene Brashers as a suspect, who died by suicide in 1999. The case had remained unsolved due to limited evidence and technological constraints, but new methods finally provided closure for the victims' families and the city.
The article recounts the courageous efforts of the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo in Argentina, who tirelessly searched for their stolen grandchildren kidnapped during the brutal military dictatorship from 1976-1983, using innovative methods and DNA technology, while also highlighting Argentina's political history and US involvement in the region.
A 4-year-old boy murdered in 1972 in Virginia has been identified as Carl Matthew Bryant through genetic genealogy, but the fate of his baby brother remains unknown, with police continuing to investigate.
Investigators in Wisconsin have solved a 50-year-old cold case using genetic genealogy, leading to the arrest of 84-year-old Jon Miller for the 1974 murder of Mary K. Schlais, who was killed while hitchhiking to a Chicago art show. This marks the first time the Dunn County Sheriff's Office has used genetic genealogy to solve a case, with assistance from Ramapo College in New Jersey. Miller, who was adopted, confirmed his involvement in the crime and is awaiting extradition to Wisconsin.
Over 40 years after a deceased infant was found by children in Northfield, Vermont, state police have identified the baby's parents using genetic genealogy. The mother admitted to unlawfully disposing of the baby, who was stillborn, but no charges will be filed due to the statute of limitations. The case, treated as a homicide until now, has finally been resolved.
A jawbone found by a child in Arizona 20 years ago has been identified as belonging to U.S. Marine Capt. Everett Leland Yager, who died in a 1951 training accident. Traditional DNA testing had previously yielded no results, but a genetic profile was developed using genome sequencing and bioinformatics, leading to a match with Yager's daughter's DNA sample. The remains will be returned to Yager's family after being found in the child's rock collection and undergoing extensive forensic investigation.
Experts have identified a human jawbone found in a child's rock collection as belonging to U.S. Marine Corps Captain Everett Leland Yager, who died in a 1951 military training exercise. The jawbone, discovered in Arizona, was linked to Yager through genetic genealogy testing performed by college students and a high school intern, making the intern potentially the youngest person to help solve such a case. The bone's presence in Arizona remains a mystery, with one theory suggesting it may have been carried there by a scavenger such as a bird.