The Missing Piece: A New Video Series Focusing on the People Behind Forensic Genetic Genealogy Successes
Carla Walker. Christine Jessop. Siobhan McGuinness. For years, these victims were listed on cold case files in law enforcement evidence boxes. While never forgotten, limitations in forensic science prevented their cases from being closed. Families waited decades for answers and justice while their killers remained unidentified. To generate leads in criminal cases investigators […]
Investigative Genetic Genealogy and Criminalistics – What is the Future?
Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) has been amazing in solving both cold and recent cases and for exonerating the innocent. Each day, another once-thought-to-be-intractable case is solved using this new-to-forensics means of human identification. We live in exciting times for forensic identification! Despite, or because of, this success, the use of genetic genealogical data for forensic […]
Loveless Lost: The Case of the Oldest Doe Identified Using Forensic Genetic Genealogy
In the summer of 1979, a family was searching for artifacts in Buffalo Cave, a dark lava tube outside of the small and remote town of Dubois, Idaho. Approximately 200 feet from the opening of the cave, the family discovered a burlap sack containing a mummified, clothed, and dismembered headless torso. The Clark County Sheriff’s […]
Investigative Genetic Genealogy: How Does it Work?
Today’s blog is written by Marc McDermott, a member of the National Genealogical Society with a deep passion for all things genealogy. Reposted from the Genealogy Explained blog with permission. There’s been a lot of media coverage lately around cold cases being cracked open using DNA testing and investigative genetic genealogy (IGG). Cases like the […]
The Foundling: Resolving a Case of Unknown Parentage Through the Use of Genetic Genealogy
On April 27, 1964, a nurse came into the hospital room of Dora Fronczak, who had just given birth to her young son, Paul. She took the baby and left, saying it was time to take the baby to the nursery. In reality, the nurse had stolen the baby. Authorities were never able to find […]
The Power of Genetic Genealogy
In this interview, Diahan Southard, Founder of Your DNA Guide, shares how researching ancient Egyptian mummies led to the inception of the genetic genealogy databases that we know today. She also discusses the range of emotions felt by families who discover secrets in their own family tree and how to best handle these surprises within […]
Announcing the ISHI 31 Keynote: CeCe Moore and Paul Fronczak
“How do you like the name Jack?” the woman on the phone asked. On April 27, 1964, a nurse came into the hospital room of Dora Fronczak, who had just given birth to her young son, Paul. She told Mrs. Fronczak that it was time to take the baby to the nursery (at that […]
Unraveling the Twisted Case of Angie Dodge
CeCe Moore helped create the genetic genealogy team at Parabon Nanolabs and has been involved in 69 cases over the course of 17 months at Parabon. She’s also something of a celebrity in forensic circles, with many television appearances and articles published in the news media. There’s one case, however, that stands out for her. […]
Advancements in Technology Are Warming Up Cold Cases
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in its guidelines National Best Practices for Implementing and Sustaining a Cold Case Investigation Unit, defines a cold case as a case, “…such as a violent crime, missing person, or unidentified person, that has remained unsolved for at least three years and has the potential to be solved through […]
