Parabon - General Discussion

[MelmothTheLost]

As it's now clear that Parabon will be undertaking investigation into various cases to Websluthers, including UID children, it seems to me appropriate that there should be a thread where those cases and Parabon's work can be discussed in general terms, as per the similar discussion thread for DNA Doe Project. To date I'm not familiar with any of Parabon's cases which impact those we tend to follow here, but no doubt there will be a dgree of overlap in due course.

So discuss away

Parabon NanoLabs: Engineering DNA for Next-Generation Therapeutics and Forensics

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

All onboard the Parabon Nanolabs train!

As of now, they are into solving crimes using DNA and genealogy techniques similar to the DNA Doe Project. DDP will not do cases involving children as a part of their work ethics, so this should be a golden opportunity for PNl

Parabon Nanolabs also do DNA phenotyping, which uses DNA and genealogy to predict a person's appearance, which can be used if the UID's too decomposed, skeletal, or where the head is missing.

FYI: This is all very simply explained by me! I recommend you explore MelmothTheLost's link in post #1

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

Not directly about PNl or DDP, but interesting listening nevertheless. I was intrigued why DDP had so many cases from WA, but this podcast from the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs (WASPC) may explain that a little bit:

http://www.podcasts.com/waspc-podcast-1-saki-project-e333687c4

Turns out they are working quite actively in using DNA as a crime solving tool, and have even established a new cold case unit to go over old cases to see if new techniques can be used to solve them.
IIRC, Parabon Nanolabs' DNA phenotyping was used when the double murder of Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg in Washington state was solved just recently.

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

They are not as up and personal as the DDP team, but they update their Facebook page on a regular basis:

Parabon

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

PNl isn't mentioned by name, but apparently the Vallejo Police Department has sent two letters to an unamed lab for DNA testing. The Zodiac case heated up again earlier this year after PNl managed to identify Joseph DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer, so it would make sense if PNl has been handed the task to identify The Zodiac killer as well. We'll just have wait and see.

Zodiac Killer case: DNA may offer hope of solving the mystery

 

[Mrs. Badcrumble]

There's another Parabon Nanolabs/genealogy/GEDmatch thread in the Cold Case forum with a list of solved and current cases.

DNA Solves Cold Cases/Parabon Nanolabs & GED/Match.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Not directly about PNl or DDP, but interesting listening nevertheless. I was intrigued why DDP had so many cases from WA, but this podcast from the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs (WASPC) may explain that a little bit:

http://www.podcasts.com/waspc-podcast-1-saki-project-e333687c4

Turns out they are working quite actively in using DNA as a crime solving tool, and have even established a new cold case unit to go over old cases to see if new techniques can be used to solve them.

I would have expected that a few, particularly progressive, LE forces would be the early adopters of this new technology and act as pathfinders. They and their cases will be the proof of context and I do anticipate that once word of the successes gets around the LE community nationally other LE forces will sit up and take notice. It's likely that a flood of cases will be heading DDP's way in a couple of years as this snowballs, which may open up opportunities for others to come into the field as well. Paragon seems to be the first of these.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

They and their cases will be the proof of context

Eh what? I meant concept of course.

 

[margarita25]

(Subscribing)

 

[Suglo]

How an Unlikely Family History Website Transformed Cold Case Investigations
Fifteen murder and sexual assault cases have been solved since April with a single genealogy website. This is how GEDmatch went from a casual side project to a revolutionary tool.

How an Unlikely Family History Website Transformed Cold Case Investigations

 

[JovanSrna]

This thread hasn't seen a post in years! Anyway, Parabon has a fundraising platform now like Othram and DNA Doe Project so we can see some of the cases they're working on, including murders and rapes interestingly enough.
JusticeDrive Crime-Solving Network
Their top featured cases are largely infant does, one in Vermont, three in Minnesota and two in Wisconsin. The ones in Wisconsin are in dire need of funds, the others have been fully funded. Also, they have a case from Redgrave Research featured, that one needs funds two. It's a Jane Doe from Ohio and it's a very old case.
The cases in need of funding:
JusticeDrive
JusticeDrive
The funded cases:
JusticeDrive
JusticeDrive