To find alleged Golden State Killer, investigators first found his great-great-great-grandparents

[IronLionZion]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/to-find-alleged-golden-state-killer-investigators-first-found-his-great-great-great-grandparents/2018/04/30/3c865fe7-dfcc-4a0e-b6b2-0bec548d501f_story.html?utm_term=.37c2f0e1cfea

SACRAMENTO — Detectives had searched for four decades for the clue that would unlock the identity of the Golden State Killer, the predator who terrorized California top to bottom with a string of horrific rapes and homicides in the 1970s and ’80s.

Criminal DNA databases produced no hits, sweeps of crime scenes no fingerprints and hefty rewards no definitive tips. But Paul Holes, an investigator and DNA expert, had a hunch he could create a road map to the killer through his genetics.

Holes used DNA recovered from a crime scene to find the killer’s great-great-great grandparents, who lived in the early 1800s. Branch by painstaking branch, he and a team created about 25 family trees containing thousands of relatives down to the present day.

One fork led to a 72-year-old retiree who was quietly living out his golden years in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights. Holes was intrigued after learning the man was a disgraced cop who had bought guns during two bursts of activity by the killer.

The test of Holes’s novel sleuthing would come in mid-April, when officers scooped up an item discarded by the man that contained his DNA and tested the genetic material against the killer’s. The shot in the dark produced a match — an improbable ending fit for detective fiction.

Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested in Citrus Heights on April 24.

[DURHAM D]

1. This is really interesting.

My DNA is on record and I would have no qualms about it being used to find criminals.

[marble falls]

3. Still not completely on board with it. But lets face it: all of our DNA is out there, so much so...

that people have been falsely convicted with it.

I read yesterday about 60% of the dust on subways is human skin particles. Randomly picking it up and redepositing it can make fodder for false assumptions.

That said, I am glad they arrested this guy. But justice will be further denied while new case law is ground out over the evidence, I understand he confessed. Thank goodness for that.

[7962]

12. Based on your comment, I've done some research on bad DNA cases. VERY interesting.

I found some really great info I'm going to read further.
And also that it seems that the FBI is now requiring a more exact match for DNA use. Unless I read that wrong!

I would've never known of this without reading your comment!

[marble falls]

19. I've only read about it in the last couple of years in Wired, Popular Mechanics, the NYT.....

Finger printing has a lot of problems, starting with the fact most people consider it 'science', its not. No machine can compare fingerprints for a match. Its all done by eye, by comparing books and books of prints.

[IronLionZion]

15. I would hope they need more than just some skin particles from the subway

to make a conviction.

I've spoken to prosecutors who are quite frustrated with how easily perps get away by casting doubt on lack of DNA proof based on what people have seen on movies and crime shows. Lots of crimes are committed without much DNA left behind.

[marble falls]

18. People have been convicted on DNA evidence. A case I read about in the NYT was about...

how a researcher surmised it might be possible to pull DNA from a fingerprint and was successful. The thought is even if a print is unidentifiable by smudging, the DNA left could still ID a culprit.

What happens if I shake your hand and then go out and leave my smudged print with your DNA?

Its happened to others who ended up in prison.

You ought to investigate finger print evidence all by itself.

[7962]

22. TV and movies have certainly played a part in the attitudes of many.

SO many now believe that there is a "secret government" that REALLY runs things no matter WHO wins. Because of movies like the Bourne series, the "shooter" movies, where someone is set up by the secret govt, the "24" series which has a LOT of "deep state" stuff, etc. The list goes on.
This is the birth of dozens of conspiracy theories.

[Maraya1969]

2. Color me stupid but how did they match the DNA to someone who has

been gone for a couple, (?) hundred years?

[marble falls]

4. They submitted samples and suggestions of who the sample might be related to were sent back.

[IronLionZion]

5. To build out family trees to see who is related to the killer

as a way to create a list of suspects to pursue. The article describes how they did it. It's pretty amazing.

Initial DNA work identified distant relatives — not a suspect. Holes said a team of five investigators spent four months building out family trees, name by name. They pored over census records, newspaper obituaries, gravesite locaters, and police and commercial databases to find each relative and, ultimately, DeAngelo.

[Maraya1969]

6. So they would have had to go back up the tree, using the distant relative's

identity and DNA to get to his great great great grandfather. I'm sure there is no DNA left of this man. That is what confused me.

Thanks

[IronLionZion]

7. They don't need that person's DNA

they go by more recent relatives who would share a common ancestor. Like first cousins would share a grandparent. Then they go by public records to see who that person's parents were, and so on.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

21. They identified 3rd cousins on one branch. Then followed that branch to the root.

The root being great great grand parents. The followed from the root back up the tree to see where other branches lead by using publicly available information.

Then narrowed down the subjects of the new branches by age and location. Apparently a thousand names. Good old fashioned police work to get them to a couple suspects. Then a full DNA match to verify.

Fascinating.

I’ve heard of catching suspects by using familial DNA - getting busted because a sibling or a parent or child is on file.

This story takes it to a whole new level. Conceivably any DNA sample from any crime scene can be used to narrow down the list of possible suspects from millions to hundreds or thousands - if the motivation is there.

[Corgigal]

8. My dream

Is for the Golden State killer and Trump to share a prison cell together. Both about the same age, and being vindictive dicks.

[IronLionZion]

9. They might become best buddies

and share war stories of who is the bigger asshole

[ailsagirl]

10. Sign me up for that dream!!

[BobTheSubgenius]

11. Can you imagine the shock this POS must have felt?

When the police first rolled up on him would have to have been shocking after 40 years. Later finding out how they did it would be a second gut punch.

Still, he more or less got away with it. He had decades of freedom that he never deserved, and got to breathe long after his victims were denied that. I'm not sure what his medical condition is, and I don't really care. The little visuals I've had looked like he is pretty sick.

Nothing trivial, I hope.

[IronLionZion]

14. It would make a lot of other killers very uncomfortable

Now that they know law enforcement has these capabilities and dogged persistence to catch people after a long time. The other killers
would be constantly looking over their shoulder wondering if and when they'll get caught.

Nazis and terrorists have been caught many decades after their despicable deeds.

[GusBob]

13. If you want to talk about an invasion of privacy......

His victims described his penis as "small" or "smaller than average"

[nvme]

16. This is where privacy ends

I would love to find my family tree. I have never known anyone in it beyond my siblings. I hesitate to give any DNA to 23andme or the like, because once have they info about my genetic makeup I am basically going to have tell everyone I come in contact with, what it is,or it becomes fraudulently withholding information about myself. In this case ignorance is bliss. Another example of why its a bad idea is, if I decide to run for office, and I have a gene for Alzheimer's or cancer, that information could get leaked out. If credit card companies and credit agencies are susceptible to hackers , don't you think DNA Co.'s wont eventually be targets?

I am willing to put on my tinfoil hat for this one

[7962]

23. Wouldn't it be possible to order the kit and just not use your real name?

I've wondered the same thing you're thinking.

[TheOther95Percent]

17. So if I'm reading right, he was tracked down through a 3rd cousin's DNA

Absolutely amazing. This POS ruined so many lives and caused so much pain. I'm glad the cops caught him. Better late than never.

In the small world category, my cousin lived in the Sacramento area during the times he was active and after his divorce he bought a house about a mile away from the GSK.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

20. Wow. This part:

At a forum on the rapes in 1977, Daly recalled that a man rose and said he doubted a rapist would be able to rape a woman in front of her husband, since the man would retaliate. Several months later, that man’s wife was raped while he was at home, Daly said.

“I can’t positively say, but I think the rapist was in the meeting that night,” she said.