Can Genetic DNA Investigations Solve More Cold Cases?

The technique that caught the Golden State Killer is now in use on 100 other unsolved crimes.

genetically edited babies
(BSIP/UIG via Getty Images)
UIG via Getty Images

A Virginia-based DNA engineering company named Parabon NanoLabs is trying to use the same investigative technique that led to the arrest of the Golden State Killer on many more cases, according to Oxygen. Genetic-genealogy, as Parabon has coined it, is now being used on DNA data collected from roughly 100 other crime scenes and run through the genealogy website GEDmatch.

As Parabon CEO Steve Armentrout told Oxygen, he believes genetic-genealogy on its own can solve 20% of the crimes the company is currently working on, and can solve another 30% with the help of other law enforcement information.

In addition to the Golden State Killer case, genetic-genealogy also helped recently solve a 1987 double homicide in Washington state. In the aftermath of the Golden State Killer news, many have speculated whether genetic-genealogy could help finally solve California’s infamous Zodiac murders.

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