The article I have selected for this assignment is “A mystery writer planned to retire. Now she’s leading a team of genetic detectives – and giving murder victims back their names,” published by The Guardian on July 13th, 2024. The article focuses on Margret Press, a retired linguist, computer programmer and author. Following her retirement, she went on to co-found the DNA Doe Project (DDP) with Colleen Fitzpatrick, a retired nuclear physicist and forensic genealogist. The DDP uses DNA evidence from crime scenes and uploads it to genealogy websites to find matches with relatives of the unknown person to give the names back to unidentified victims of murder, commonly known as Jane and John Does. The two founders were the first to use genetic genealogy to identify a Jane Doe out of Arkansas as Marcia King, who had gone nearly 40 years without her identity and who’s family had always wondered what happened to their lost daughter. Following the pioneer discovery, the new tool was quickly taken up by law enforcement to make the now famous discovery of the identity of The Golden State Killer in 2018. The DDP works alongside law enforcement and focuses on identifying victims over solving crimes or catching killers, and has identified over 120 Does so far, including a victim of high-profile serial murder John Wayne Gacy (Lanzendorfer, 2024).
The process involves law enforcement’s collection of DNA evidence from crime scenes, which are then processed by forensic laboratory analysts to determine if biological samples are present, such as blood, skin or semen. If there is enough intact biological material to test, the sample is genotyped using a set of single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The profiles are made compatible for comparison with well-known databases such as Gedmatch and FamilyTreeDNA that compare DNA data files from individuals who have tested with direct-to-consumer DNA testing kits (Erturk, Mine Su. Et al., 2022). The volunteers of DDP then take the profile generated by the lab analysist and plug it into genealogy sites, the goal being to locate the closest familial match to the DNA profile. Often, this work is highly detailed and requires intense investigation including tracing genetic lines across decades and continents. Identifying victims of color is more difficult due to a lack of genetic data in available databases. Unfortunately, due to the booming of the genetic genealogy industry persons without proper credentials and professional training in sensitive matters (such as notifying families) have infiltrated the field. Margaret Press is involved in developing a code of ethics for investigative genetic genealogy, and establishing an accreditation exam for volunteer genealogists interested in joining the effort (Lanzendorfer, 2024).
This article relates to genetics because it involves the collection, processing and analysis of biological samples with the goal of generating a DNA profile to identify an unknown individual. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the complex molecule that stores genetic information. Each individual has a unique DNA sequence, and due to patterns of inheritance within a family, an individual’s DNA has certain similarities to those they are related to. Specifically, if mitochondrial DNA can be collected, the profile would be identical to the unknown individual’s maternally related kin. If someone that closely related to a Doe uploads their profile to one of the servers used by law enforcement or DDP, the match would be made instantly. When an immediate family member is not part of the equation, genetic markers are used to narrow down the individual’s ancestry, location of origin and even at times their phenotype. When phenotyping is done, it is with the goal of generating an image to disseminate in the hopes of someone recognizing the unknown individual. The scientific advancement of forensic genealogy is the future of crime solving and locating the families of individuals that had their loved ones taken from them.
Works Cited
Lanzendorfer, J. (2024, July 13). A mystery writer planned to retire. Now she’s leading a team of genetic detectives – and giving murder victims back their names. The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/13/forensic-genetic-genealogy-cold-cases
Erturk, Mine Su. Et al. Analysis of the genealogy process in forensic genetic genealogy. National Library of Medicine; https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.15127 (2022).