The Copenhagen Police (Denmark) have had a breakthrough in a 34-year-old murder case. They have arrested a 53-year-old man, charging him with the murder of Hanne With, who was found dead in her apartment in Nørrebro on New Year's night 1990.
The breakthrough came with the help of familial searching. DNA material found on the victim's trousers was compared with DNA profiles in the police database. Instead of searching for a direct match, they searched for close family members of the person who had left the DNA.
This method led the police to the 53-year-old man who is now charged with murder and in custody.
"This case demonstrates the potential of DNA familial searching as an effective investigative tool. As far as I know, this is the first time that Danish police have used familial searching in the DNA database to find possible perpetrators," said Mikkel Meyer Andersen, a lecturer at the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Aalborg University. He researches mathematical and statistical assessments of DNA evidence and has previously served as an expert witness in court in other murder cases.
Andersen said he sees great potential in DNA familial searching for reopening unsolved cases.
"The method can help us find possible suspects, and it can lead to breakthroughs in cases that would otherwise remain unsolved," the professor emphasized.
Although DNA traces in this murder case were crucial in identifying a possible perpetrator, it is not a guarantee of a final resolution. Therefore, it is important that the police also have other evidence against the suspect.
Republished courtesy of Aalborg University