To Catch a Predator – An Interview with Paul Holes
In his keynote address at ISHI 30 this September, Paul Holes will detail how investigative genealogy techniques, determination, and more than a little bit of patience led to the identification and capture of the Golden State Killer. We recently interviewed Paul and asked him what drew him to the Golden State Killer case, how he […]
Ethical Issues Around Investigative Genealogy
Craig Klugman, a Bioethicist at DePaul University details the issues surrounding commercial DNA databases and using these databases for investigative genealogy purposes, and offers some paths forward. Transcript: Laura: Hi, we’re here at ISHI 29 with Craig Klugman. Craig, tell us a little bit about yourself. Craig: Well, I’m a […]
Using Genetic Genealogy to Provide Answers – an Interview with CeCe Moore
Sarah Dingle, an investigative journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation interviews CeCe Moore to discuss how she’s used genetic genealogy to help adoptees and donor conceived individuals find their biological families, and is now applying the same techniques to cold cases. Transcript: Sarah: Hi, I’m Sarah Dingle. I’m an Investigative Journalist […]
What Advice Would You Give to Someone Just Starting Out in Forensics?
Maybe you’ve just graduated and are looking for your first job in forensics, or maybe you’re just starting work as an analyst. Either way, trying to find your footing can be tough. That’s why we’ve asked our ISHI 29 speakers to share some pearls of wisdom for those just starting out in the field of […]
The Power of DNA
Amanda Sozer, President of SNA International, discusses the power of DNA to reunite families after tragedies like Hurricane Katrina and the World Trade Center attacks. Transcript: Laura Barten: You managed a lot of the Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 efforts; that must be incredibly challenging. Amanda Sozer: It was. I mean, […]
A Genetic Genealogy Television Show?
Margaret Press and Colleen Fitzpatrick, founders of the DNA Doe Project, discuss the likelihood of staring in a reality television show. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS? SUBSCRIBE TO THE ISHI BLOG BELOW! SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Under the Microscope – Kyleen Elwick
Missing persons’ cases, unidentified human remains, and mass disasters are problems faced not only within the United States, but also many other countries worldwide. Routinely in missing persons’ cases, challenging skeletal remains (bone and teeth) are the only samples available for DNA analysis. However, some samples are more challenging to process than others because of their […]
Under the Microscope – Tim Augsback
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) confronted a state-wide Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) testing initiative to eliminate the backlog of untested kits. As part of this initiative, over 13,000 kits were submitted. In order to process these kits in-house, BCI developed a tiered approach that enabled scientists to complete processing in a five year […]
Under the Microscope – Kate Stevenson
SWGDAM outlines validation requirements for individual laboratories which include concordance, reproducibility, accuracy and precision, sensitivity and stochastic effects and mixture studies. The details of these requirements are informative but balancing of sample numbers versus robust results to establish conclusions and subsequent guidelines is more tricky. In her presentation at ISHI, Kate Stevenson (a Senior Scientist at the […]
