Genetic Genealogy

  • Genetic Genealogy IDs Suspect in 1989 Rapes

    May 17, 2024
    Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Framingham Police Chief Lester Baker announced today that Stephen Paul Gale, 71, has been identified and charged with four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping and one count of armed robbery of two women at the Hit or Miss Store in Framingham in 1989. read more
  • Arrest Made in 24-Year-Old Massachusetts Sexual Assault Case

    May 14, 2024
    Jamie Dodge, 48, of Brownville, Maine, has been arrested and charged with aggravated rape and kidnapping for his alleged involvement in a sexual assault in the Town of Holland in July, 2000. read more
  • Madison’s “Chimney Doe” Identified After Nearly 35 Years

    May 14, 2024
    After more than three decades, investigators finally have a name to tie to a gruesome mystery. The skeletal remains found on Sept. 3, 1989, in the chimney of a Madison business belong to Ronnie Joe Kirk, Madison Police announced Monday. read more
  • After 34 Years, John Doe Identified in Chesterfield County, VA

    May 14, 2024
    After 34 years, a man found near Appomattox River in Chesterfield County, Virginia, has been identified as Robert Lee Harris, born February 22nd, 1935. read more
  • Human Remains Found Behind House Identified

    May 14, 2024
    The Knox County Regional Forensic Center has again helped solve another cold case, this time with the help of advanced genetic testing. The Knoxville Police Department notified the forensic center in early September 2022 that human remains were located in a wooded area behind a house on Knott Ave. read more
  • Sonoma County Homicide Victim Identified After Nearly 60 Years

    May 10, 2024
    After nearly 60 years, a murdered woman, whose remains were discovered off highway 1 in Sonoma County, California, has been identified as Lillian Marie Cardenas, born in 1928. read more
  • 1977 John Doe Identified Using Genetic Genealogy

    May 09, 2024
    After nearly five decades, investigators have identified a man whose remains were found by land surveyors while cutting a property line in Collier County, Florida. In 2023, the Collier County Sheriff's Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. read more
  • 1977 Colorado Springs Homicide Solved

    May 09, 2024
    Murder of teen babysitter in Colorado Springs solved decades later through genetic genealogy DNA analysis using public commercial DNA databases. read more
  • Police Solve 48-Year-Old Cold Case Using DNA Technology

    May 08, 2024
    After nearly five decades, the Lubbock Police Department (LPD) has solved a previously unsolved murder from 1976 using new DNA testing. Texas Rangers next used a SAKI grant in 2021 to investigate and prosecute cold sexual assault cases in the area. Using this grant funding, the Texas Rangers suggested to the Lubbock Police Department to submit untested evidence on April 19, 2021. read more
  • Ventura Police Department Solves 33-year-old Cold Case Homicide

    May 07, 2024
    After over three decades, the Ventura Police Department (VPD) has made a significant breakthrough in the 1991 murder case of Danielle Clause. Using advanced forensic genetic genealogy techniques, law enforcement has identified Larry Devon Welch as the perpetrator, which is a pivotal moment in resolving this long-standing mystery. read more