Information Age DNA and Law Enforcement Detective Work

This is the technology blog and .I have an interest in all the ways technology is changing and impacting our lives, for better and for worse, as we enter the Information Age.

Have you heard the recent news of the Golden State Killer?

Wikipedia states the following:

The Golden State Killer is a serial killer, serial rapist, and serial burglar who committed at least 12 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 burglaries in California from 1974 to 1986.

So, how was he caught recently and what does this have to do with tech?

Detectives work by creating a list of suspects and narrowing it down.  Once it is small enough to reasonably interview subjects of interest they hit the roads.

Start with a list of people likely to commit the crimes illustrated in that Wikipedia entry.  Males of the same race are the likeliest (we know this from analysis of history).  That is a huge list in California.  A certain age.  Great.  Still an enormous list.  The detectives on the case back in the 1970s and 80s didn't have enough to narrow it down more.  The bad guy wasn't caught, then he stopped.

Enter your DNA on Ancestry.com.  Here is CNN on the story:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/02/us/golden-state-killer-unsealed-warrants/index.html

Here is a snippet from that piece

...police tracked him down by comparing genetic profiles from genealogy websites to crime scene DNA, according to investigators.

Here is VOX on the use of ancestry sites, geneology, to catch bad guys:

https://www.vox.com/2018/4/27/17290288/golden-state-killer-joseph-james-deangelo-dna-profile-match

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Sacramento authorities confirmed Thursday that they used DNA profiles from ancestry websites to help them catch the Golden State Killer, also known as the East Area Rapist and the Original Night Stalker (EARONS).

This is a really interesting addition to the toolkit for crime solving.  Tech.  It's everywhere and the Information Age continues to change fundamental aspects of our lives.  Some entrepreneurial detectives in California have helped create the new "fingerprint", the new method for breaking open cases, that utilizes information to catch bad people.  That's good for the rest of us.

Sleep easier tonight.  The good guys are out there catching the bad guys and all will be well.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant