The Missing Piece Episode 7: Sherri Ann Jarvis (Walker County Jane Doe)
After 40 years, Walker County Jane Doe has been confirmed to be 14-year old Sherri Ann Jarvis, who went missing from Stillwater, Minnesota in the early part of 1980. In the early morning of November 1st, 1980, a truck driver traveling past the Sam Houston National Forest came upon the body […]
Women Advancing Forensics: Olivia McCarter
Meet some of the women who are propelling the field of forensic science forward. In this interview, we meet Olivia McCarter, a student at the University of South Alabama. Like many people her age who are in school for a forensic science career, Olivia grew up watching TV shows that portrayed characters who were […]
Debunking Myths Surrounding Law Enforcement’s Use of Forensic Genetic Genealogy
In 2018, a new technique named Joseph DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer when a small team of investigators uploaded his DNA profile into a publicly available DNA database to reverse engineer his identity based on familial relations. As a part of his 19-year career with the FBI, from 2018 to 2021, former SA […]
Studying Public Preferences and Policy Options for Investigative Genetic Genealogy
Since the arrest of the Golden State Killer in April 2018, investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) has helped close hundreds of cases in the United States. But there are persistent concerns that this technique violates the privacy interests of participants in genetic genealogy databases and their families. Past studies have demonstrated that individuals are concerned about […]
Using the ForenSeq Kintelligence Workflow with Difficult Samples for Forensic Genetic Genealogy
Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies for forensic investigations has gained interest over the past few years due to the possibility of obtaining more information from a DNA sample left at the crime scene, especially in the presence of mixed contributors. The development of new workflows to be used with the MiSeq® FGx Sequencing System opens […]
The Missing Piece Episode 6: Mary Catherine Edwards
In January 1995, the parents of Mary Catherine Edwards, a “well-loved” Beaumont, Texas school teacher, went to her home to check on her. Mary lived alone, had not responded to calls and her parents were concerned. Upon arrival, they found she had been drowned in her bathroom. Beaumont detectives later determined that the […]
Mama’s Baby, Papa’s Maybe: How Misattributed Parentage and Other Challenges Can Complicate Your Investigative Genetic Genealogy Case
DNA Doe Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to name the nameless – to identify John and Jane Does using investigative genetic genealogy. While the humanitarian efforts of the group are the primary focus, I am pleased to write this guest blog for our friends at ISHI to share knowledge and contribute to […]
The Missing Piece Episode 5: Darrell Splett (McHenry County John Doe)
Hikers in the Rush Creek Conservation Area of Harvard, Illinois discovered a body near the Rush Creek Trails in May 2019. The McHenry County Conservation Police responded to the scene and discovered the remains of a middle-aged white man. He was clothed in winter attire including multiple layers, a hat, hand-knitted scarf, and […]
The Missing Piece Episode 4: Shawna Beth Garber (Grace Doe)
In December 1990, a couple walking on a rural road in Southwest Missouri discovered the decomposed remains of a young woman. She had been hog-tied and dumped next to an abandoned farmhouse. Detective Howard was told that it would be only by the “Grace of God” that they could find out who she […]
