The Golden State Killer and DNA
You've probably heard how DNA was used to apprehend the alleged Golden State Killer.
Knowing that I use genetic genealogy in my family history research, friends and family have spoken to me about how this unfolded.
Upfront, I should say that the Police didn't use one of the commercial testing companies like AncestryDNA. They used GEDmatch.com which allows people to upload their DNA data from the commercial testing companies to a common platform.
Roberta Estes, a US based genetic genealogist, has published a very detailed article today that some may be interested in reading. Roberta makes the point that there's been little coverage of the same process being followed to identify a murder victim just 13 days earlier. The victim, known as the Buckskin Girl, was found in 1981 and identified as 21 year old Marcia Lenore King earlier in the month.
At the end of the article, Roberta details why she's keeping her DNA online. Mine's staying online as well.
Please contact me if you want any more information.