Spotlight: DNA

The Evolution of DNA

Since the 1980’s DNA has been a game-changer for law enforcement. Whether it’s identifying the body of a John or a Jane Doe or connecting a suspect to a crime scene, DNA has transformed the way police, prosecutors and juries look at evidence. Crime laboratories no longer require pristine, high quality biological samples in order to make an identification. With advances in technology, even old, degraded specimens can be identified. Then, in 2018, a pivotal case would signal another turning point for the way DNA can solve crimes.

The Golden State Killer

On April 24, 1980 Joseph James Deangelo was identified as the Golden State Killer, a man whose identity had eluded police for decades and who had been only known by that moniker along with others including; the East Area Rapist, the Visalia Ransacker, and the Diamond Knot Killer. Deangelo was identified because his DNA, which was found at various crime scene over the years, was connected to familial DNA that had been uploaded to an open-source genealogy website. It was this marriage of forensic DNA and investigative genetic genealogy (also called forensic genetic genealogy) that has changed the face of police investigations.

With the popularity of consumer DNA test kits, anyone who was interested in exploring their own DNA could search for family connections with others who also shared their DNA. As the number of people participating grew, more and more were able to find connections. With all of this genetic information now publicly available, law enforcement began querying DNA profiles from various crime scenes that were never matched to known criminal DNA samples in systems such as CODIS, the Combined DNA Information system managed by the FBI.

Simply put, it was a law enforcement search of open-source DNA compared with crime scene DNA from the Golden State Killer in 2018 that resulted in the identification of Deangelo, a man who had terrorized several California communities for years.[1] One of his sadistic crimes was the double murder of a couple in Ventura, California in March 1980. Charlene Smith, 28, and her husband Lyman Smith 38, were asleep in bed when they were wakened by an intruder who ordered Charlene to tie her husband’s wrists behind him. The intruder then bound Charlene’s hands and Lyman’s ankles before forcing Charlene to another room where her brutally raped her. He brought Charlene back to the master bedroom where he then bludgeoned both victims to death. Their bodies would be found three days later by Lyman’s 12-year-old son. At the time police questioned whether this could be the work of the East Area Rapist.[2] Detectives looked at several potential persons of interest early on in the investigation, but eventually the case went cold.

Genetic Genealogy Emerges

By 2018 the crime laboratory at the California Department of Justice had been working on the unknown DNA from some of the crime scenes when they identified Deangelo who would have been 34 years old at the time of the Lyman and Charlene Smith murders. Tobi Kirschmann previously worked at the California crime lab but had moved to New York State when the revelation of the Golden State Killer was announced. She contacted her former colleagues to find out how they made the connection. “Nobody knew anything.” But once Deangelo had been arraigned, Kirschmann reached out to another contact in the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office who told her it was genetic genealogy that provided the identification of DeAngelo. Kirschmann was told that a team of 5 technicians made the connection, taking 63 days to find him, she said. Kirschmann, recognizing the enormity of this event remembered this as “a game changer.”

Enter investigative genetic genealogy, also called forensic genetic genealogy, described by author Clair Glynn in an article in the National Library of Medicine as a combination of the fields of forensic genetics with both genetic and conventional genealogy.[3] In its simplest terms, genetic samples can be compared to determine how much DNA is in common – the more in common, the closer the relationship.

Prior to investigative genetic genealogy, DNA samples from crime scenes were being compared through state or regional DNA databases or through CODIS, the national DNA database. But with the advent of open-source DNA databases for public use such as GED match, Family Tree DNA, and DNA Justice, the possibility of matching DNA profiles to family lines became a reality. If a crime scene sample did not match to a profile in CODIS, it could be compared to DNA profiles in the open-source systems, looking for those entries which shared DNA in common which could then indicate some type of familial relationship. Depending on the amount of DNA shared, the specimens might indicate a close relationship such as a parent, child, or sibling, or perhaps a more distant relationship such as a cousin. For detectives, even though they might not be able to identify the actual person within a family tree, by knowing what that familial connection presents a substantial clue.

In some cases, it may confirm a theory that already existed in a case, or it may present a whole new theory.

Scenario 1 – Jane Doe in Bensalem, PA

One example of how genetic genealogy allows police to connect the dots in a cold case investigation can be found in the APB Cold Case podcast about a Jane Doe found in an abandoned industrial well in Bensalem, Pennsylvania in 1988. The episode, The Girl in the Well details the steps that Detective Chris McMullen took to find the identity of the girl whose skeletal remains indicated that she was a white female, about 5’ 4”, 110 pounds, and about 17-23 years old.

Det. Chris McMullin chased down several leads, including the case of a girl who went missing 5 years earlier in 1983, methodically collecting DNA reference samples from family members of the girl, but there was no match. Frustrated but not giving up, McMullin looked at other reports of missing girls, one of them, 22-year-old Jeanette Tambe who also disappeared from Bensalem in the mid-80’s. He located her brother Joe Tambe who provided a DNA swab. McMullin sent the brother’s DNA sample to the lab and after a few months he received a call from the Center for Human Identification. “They said, ‘we got a mitochondrial hit on your family reference DNA sample for Joseph Tambe,” recalled McMullin. The exhilarated detective felt that he had finally gotten an answer to the identity of his cold case victim, the girl in the well. But his celebration was short-lived. “Then they told me (the DNA) was matched to a Jane Doe in Buena Township, New Jersey…,” he said.  The Jane Doe in the New Jersey case was Jeanette Tambe, her body had been found in August 1986 at a rural construction site for a new home. (Listen to the APB Cold Case podcast Tortured for details of the Jeanette Tambe murder investigation).

composite sketch of Jane Doe who would later be identified through DNA as Jeanette Tambe

The years ticked by but the case was not forgotten by Det. McMullin. In 2012, there been enough advances in DNA technology for a laboratory to develop a partial genetic DNA profile on his Jane Doe. Then in 2019, one year after the pivotal case of the Golden State Killer that opened the door to genetic genealogy, Jane Doe’s profile was uploaded to GED match, but unfortunately, the sample was found to be insufficient to develop a family tree. But that would only be a temporary setback. McMullin began working with noted crime scene specialist and genealogist Yolanda McClary who began building a family tree using open-source DNA. McClary identified a first cousin who was living in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania. Det. McMullin found a telephone number for that cousin and made the call. But he would learn that this cousin was actually adopted. As much as she wanted to help, she regrettably told the detective she just didn’t have the knowledge. But a few days later, McMullin received another message from Yolanda McClary. “She sent me 2 names: Linda Todd and Joseph Todd, who both lived in Philadelphia,” remembered McMullin. “She said your Jane Doe is their sister.” McMullin was awestruck. “That’s, that’s a pretty powerful statement,” he said.  So, the detective called the family to learn if they had a sister who disappeared around 1985. Joseph Todd tells McMullin that his sister Lisa disappeared at that time. McMullin recalled some of that conversation with Lisa Todd’s brother, “He said, you found my sister? I said, I believe we did.” The identity of the girl in the well was finally confirmed to be that of Lisa Todd.

It was later learned that Lisa Todd had been reported missing from, Philadelphia by her family, but for some unknown reason her missing person report was apparently purged by Philadelphia police on Lisa’s 18^th birthday. Det. McMullin believes her death to be a homicide. “I have a very good theory as to who killed her. I think placed her there, hid her there, because they were aware of that location,” said McMullin. “She wasn’t just dropped down that hole, she was placed there,” he added. Asked about the suspect’s identity, McMullin said, “He knows he’s a suspect – I’ll tell you that. That’s all I’ll say at this point.”

Scenario 2 – John Doe in Bethlehem, NY

Another case that underscores the value of genetic genealogy in police work is a case from Bethlehem, New York. In the Spring of 1981 a decomposed body was found in a field. There was no identification with the body and the man did not match the description of any open missing persons reports in the region.

The case was investigated by Bethlehem NY police at the time of occurrence, but without a cause of death and no identification the case went cold. This investigation brought with it a number of obstacles in locating physical evidence, original reports, regulatory and legislative blocks, and more. (Listen to the details in the APB Cold Case episode Dead Man’s Cove.)

Commander Adam Hornick of the Bethlehem, NY Police Department was in charge of the cold case and began reconstructing the missing case file as well as the evidence – in this case – the jaw bones of the deceased that had been in storage for 41 years. Those bones would hold the key to the identification of the John Doe. Hornick with private laborary and the FBI who developed a DNA profile from the bones. Hornick said the FBI started building a family tree based on his John Doe DNA profile. One day, Commander Hornick received a call from the FBI saying they had a lead.  Hornick remembered the agent telling him, We’re at fourth cousins, we’re moving the tree up.”

Hornick said that they found a family member near Boston, Massachusetts in her 80’s, and that everyone else that had been identified in the family tree at that point was deceased. So, the FBI went out to speak with that one relative. Hornick said, while there was not an exact kinship ratio, they were confident that this was a close relation to their John Doe. According to Hornick, the woman told agents, “this sounds like my nephew, Franklin Feldman. Nobody in our family’s seen him in 50 years.”

For the first time in more than 4 decades, the man who was found at the corner of a farmer’s field had a name other than John Doe. Ultimately the FBI obtained DNA swabs from an aunt and first cousin which confirmed the identification. Family members explained to police that Franklin was independent and had not been seen by family members since the 1970’s. His cause of death is undetermined and remains an open case for Bethlehem police.

The Power of Genetic Genealogy

The cases of Lisa Todd and Franklin Feldman are just two examples of the power of forensic genetic genealogy. Today, more labs are acquiring updated technology; more forensic genealogists are being trained to interpret this information; and open-source ancestry databases are continuously being populated with even more family DNA; all of which is helping people find family connections. But it’s also helping law enforcement in identifying human remains, and in solving crimes.

Said Tobi Kirschmann, “It takes about a year to 18 months to solve one of these crimes once you start the DNA work. And there are thousands of cases. I just want to reiterate to the investigator that it all begins with a phone call... And then it will happen, magic will happen from there.”

“It takes about a year to 18 months to solve one of these crimes once you start the DNA work…And then it will happen, magic will happen from there.”

Summary

Since the 1980’s when DNA made its first appearance in crime scene forensics, the science has continued to evolve. In the early days substantial, quality specimens were required to make an identification. Today, old, degraded and microscopic samples can be identified. With the advent of investigative genetic genealogy making its revolutionary appearance in 2018, there’s no telling when the science will go from here.

Click here to listen to the podcast:  Spotlight: DNA

You can find links to DNA Finders and other information in our show notes at www.apbcoldcase.com

©2024 The Spawn Group, LLC – All rights reserved

References:

Law enforcement agencies seeking guidance on he DNA cases: contact Tobi Kirschmann at DNAFindgers.org

FBI Interim Guidelines

DNA glossary

Understanding DNA Terminology:

Sequencing – described by Tobi Kirschmann as the analysis of a DNA sample; there are 2 kinds: STR and SNP

STR - STR analysis is the current method of choice for DNA testing in crime laboratories and yields results that are nearly equivalent to individualization. The keys to the success of STR typing are multiplexing and the ability to label nucleotides with fluorescent tags. It should be noted that early work on STRs did not involve multiplexing, but rather visualized the separated fragments by the use of silver staining or a special type of green dye. (6/16/2023)[4]

SNP or ‘SNIP’ – single nucleotide polymorphism; a quick and easy way to analyze a sample, said Kirschmann, where specific markers are examined to compare one person to another, rather than performing whole genome sequencing .

Mitochondrial - mtDNA refers to mitochondrial DNA which is passed from mother to child. While men receive mitochondrial DNA from their mother, they do not pass it on to their children. Testing mtDNA allows for investigation into your maternal line and can help identify living relatives whose mtDNA is similar to yours, as well as ancient migration routes your maternal ancestors may have taken.[5]

Investigative Genetic Genealogy or Forensic Genetic Genealogy – “Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) has fast become a popular tool in criminal investigations since it first emerged in 2018. FGG is a novel investigatory tool that has been applied to hundreds of unresolved cold cases in the United States to generate investigative leads and identify unknown individuals. Consumer DNA testing and the public’s increased curiosity about their own DNA and genetic ancestry, have greatly contributed to the availability of human genetic data. Genetic genealogy has been a field of study/interest for many years as both amateur and professional genetic genealogists use consumer DNA data to explore genetic connections in family trees. FGG encompasses this knowledge by applying advanced sequencing technologies to forensic DNA evidence samples and by performing genetic genealogy methods and genealogical research, to produce possible identities of unknown perpetrators of violent crimes and unidentified human remains. This combination of forensic genetics, genetic genealogy, and genealogical research has formed a new subdiscipline within the forensic sciences…” [6]

CODIS – The Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, blends forensic science and computer technology into a tool that enables federal, state, and local forensic laboratories to exchange and compare DNA profiles electronically, thereby linking serial violent crimes to each other and to known-offenders. Using the National DNA Index System of CODIS, the National Missing Persons DNA Database also helps identify missing and unidentified individuals.[7]

CODIS and NDIS – CODIS and the National DNA Index System -  https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/dna-fingerprint-act-of-2005-expungement-policy/codis-and-ndis-fact-sheet

Rapid DNA – Guide to All Things Rapid DNA (FBI)  https://le.fbi.gov/file-repository/guide-to-all-things-rapid-dna-4-10-2024.pdf/view

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[1] https://orangecountyda.org/press/joseph-james-deangelo-jr-sentenced-to-11-consecutive-life-terms-without-the-possibility-of-parole-for-13-murders-and-an-additional-consecutive-life-term-for-13-kidnappings/

[2] https://www.thequesterfiles.com/murder_3___4_--_lyman___charle.html

[3] Glynn, Claire L.; Bridging Disciplines to Form a New One: The Emergence of Forensic Genetic Genealogy;

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9407302/; August 2022; Accessed 10/8/2024

[4] National Institute of Justice; Crime Scene and DNA Basics for Forensic Analysts;  https://nij.ojp.gov/nij-hosted-online-training-courses/crime-scene-and-dna-basics-forensic-analysts/history-and-types-forensic-dna-testing/short-tandem-repeats-str

[5] Family Tree DNA - https://www.familytreedna.com/products/mt-dna

[6] Claire L. Glynn; Bridging Disciplines to Form a New One: The Emergence of Forensic Genetic Genealogy (abstract). Published in National Library of Medicine; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9407302/; Accessed 10/8/2024

[7] https://le.fbi.gov/science-and-lab/biometrics-and-fingerprints/codis-2