February 2021 Issue of The ISHI Report Now Live
Greetings from Madison, Wisconsin. This issue of The ISHI Report finds us looking forward to warmer weather and the beginning of the end of life under COVID. The past year has been a slog for many of us. Some have experienced the loss of a friend or family member, financial hardships and emotional stress. […]
Identifying the Oldest Doe Using Forensic Genetic Genealogy: Henry Joseph Loveless
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. In early spring of […]
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 […]
Fall 2020 Edition of The ISHI Report Now Live
Greetings from Madison, Wisconsin. We hope this edition of the ISHI Report finds you well. The latest ISHI Report is packed with updates from the field of forensics. The topic of genetic genealogy is top of mind in large part for its effectiveness in solving cold cases when all else has failed. Andrew Macleod […]
Save the Date for ISHI 32
An infant kidnapped from a Chicago hospital. A man who became an “unidentified living person” the instant a DNA test disproved his past. An internationally known investigative genetic genealogist who helped solve the mystery of their true identities. This is the story genetic detective CeCe Moore, along with Paul Fronczak, abandoned as a toddler 55 […]
Testifying During the OJ Simpson Trial
Robin Cotton shares what it was like testifying during one of the most publicized cases including how she prepared for trial and what it was like being recognized as the ‘DNA Lady’. Transcript: Robin: I had, also, a fair amount of testimony experience by that point, because we started in ’88 and […]
Predicting Facial Morphology Using DNA Phenotyping
When trying to identify a perpetrator of a crime, phenotyping is another tool that investigators have to generate leads and narrow down suspects. Susan Walsh, Assistant Professor at IUPUI, describes what traits can currently be predicted based on DNA evidence and the direction she’s researching next. She also shares advice for others considering a career […]
Reverse Complement PCR: A Novel System for the Target Capture of Identity SNPs for Typing Highly Degraded DNA
Rachel Kieser, former PhD student at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, shares the poster that she presented at ISHI on a new method to target degraded DNA. This method was used to applied to skeletal remains over 850 year old from the royal House of Aragon, showing it’s applications for more than […]
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 […]
