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

[imstilla.grandma]

Kingpin is her victims’ grandma: DNA report

 

[imstilla.grandma]

THE SUSPECT

The DNA hit led Det. Graf to 51-year-old Tyrone Bester.

"Being able to finally put a name to a suspect is satisfying," says Graf.

Det. Graf took over the case and tracked down Tyrone Bester. He didn't have to look far. Bester was in the Brown County Jail on a 2015 arrest for Attempted Homicide.

Bester asked for a lawyer in that case and that prevented Det. Graf from talking to him about the sexual assault.

In July of 2018, Bester took a plea deal in the Attempted Homicide case. He was convicted on a lesser charge of 1st Degree Reckless Injury and sentenced to 10 years in state prison.

Days later, Det. Graf arrived at Dodge Correctional Facility to collect Bester's DNA.

*"According to Mr. Bester, 'I don't know who she is... I would never do anything like that to a female' and had no explanation as to why his DNA was found on her person," says Graf.
FIRST ALERT INVESTIGATION: DNA match cracks rape case before time runs out

* sarcastic commentary: yeah sure, he probably said that right before he offered up Grant’s Tomb and the Brooklyn Bridge for cheap foreclosure short sale.

 

[margarita25]

Suspect in Brutal Rapes of 9-Year-Old Girl and Woman in O.C. During Mid-1990s Arrested Through DNA Evidence: Sheriff
JANUARY 11, 2019

“The decades-old cold cases were solved using "similar tactics" as those used to track down the Golden State Killer accused of slayings and rapes throughout California, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes told reporters Friday. Accused serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo was found through DNA taken from genealogy sites such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe.com, authorities have said.

But the DNA evidence found in both O.C. rape cases was initially linked to two men.

"In an unexpected turn of events, the DNA profile led not to just one individual but two — twin brothers," Barnes said.

“...Konther and his brother were both arrested..snip...Since they are identical twins, their DNA profiles are identical.

Upon further investigation, authorities identified Konther as the actual suspect...”

 

[PaulaDC]

Suspect in Brutal Rapes of 9-Year-Old Girl and Woman in O.C. During Mid-1990s Arrested Through DNA Evidence: Sheriff
JANUARY 11, 2019

“The decades-old cold cases were solved using "similar tactics" as those used to track down the Golden State Killer accused of slayings and rapes throughout California, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes told reporters Friday. Accused serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo was found through DNA taken from genealogy sites such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe.com, authorities have said.

But the DNA evidence found in both O.C. rape cases was initially linked to two men.

"In an unexpected turn of events, the DNA profile led not to just one individual but two — twin brothers," Barnes said.

“...Konther and his brother were both arrested..snip...Since they are identical twins, their DNA profiles are identical.

Upon further investigation, authorities identified Konther as the actual suspect...”

If I could like it 1,000 times I would!

 

[margarita25]

Interesting article:

Experts explain how your DNA can help catch a killer
Feb 04, 2019

(Thank you @mocity for the link)

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“I just want to say how thrilled me and my family are," said Jodie Laird, the sister of Reesa Trexler. "It’s been a long road, something that honestly for many many years we didn’t think would happen.”

The body of Reesa Dawn Trexler, 15-years-old at the time, was found on the floor of her bedroom in her house in the 700 block of N. Shaver Street in June, 1984. According to the warrant, Trexler had been stabbed several times.
...
An autopsy was conducted two days after Trexler’s remains were found. Dr. John Butts collected fingerprints and a sexual assault kit, among other items.

Police submitted an item from the rape kit to be used for DNA testing. Investigators worked with Parabon Nanolabs to create a genetic genealogy report, and concluded that Blair was “a very strong candidate to be the unidentified male extracted DNA profile.”

Blair, who was 40 at the time of Trexler’s murder, died in August, 2004, of acute ventricular failure and congestive heart failure, according to the death certificate.

The case is now considered “closed by the death of the offender.”
Police: Man who murdered Salisbury teen in 1984 has been identified

 

[watcher9]

“I just want to say how thrilled me and my family are," said Jodie Laird, the sister of Reesa Trexler. "It’s been a long road, something that honestly for many many years we didn’t think would happen.”
View attachment 218573
The body of Reesa Dawn Trexler, 15-years-old at the time, was found on the floor of her bedroom in her house in the 700 block of N. Shaver Street in June, 1984. According to the warrant, Trexler had been stabbed several times.
...
An autopsy was conducted two days after Trexler’s remains were found. Dr. John Butts collected fingerprints and a sexual assault kit, among other items.

Police submitted an item from the rape kit to be used for DNA testing. Investigators worked with Parabon Nanolabs to create a genetic genealogy report, and concluded that Blair was “a very strong candidate to be the unidentified male extracted DNA profile.”

Blair, who was 40 at the time of Trexler’s murder, died in August, 2004, of acute ventricular failure and congestive heart failure, according to the death certificate.

The case is now considered “closed by the death of the offender.”
Police: Man who murdered Salisbury teen in 1984 has been identified

Another article link -

Decades after a teenage girl was stabbed to death at her grandparents' home, DNA and genetic genealogy have been used to identify her suspected killer -- a man dead for years.

Man dead for years identified as suspect in 1984 murder of 15-year-old girl

 

[Legally Bland]

Parabon have done phenotyping on this case and it reads like they're doing genealogy too.

Franconia Police District – For more than 13 years, the brutal murders of two Springfield women have remained a mystery. Both cases occurred within a four-month period in late 2006 and although detectives do not believe the victims knew each other, they had a lot in common. Most notably, both women were named Marion.

[...]

Detectives sought the assistance of Parabon NanoLabs, a DNA technology company in Northern Virginia that specializes in DNA phenotyping and genetic genealogy analysis: processes that predict physical appearance and biological relationships from unidentified DNA evidence. It is unknown how old the offender was at the time of the crimes but the composite sketches below are a representation of what the suspect may look like at age 25, 40 and 55 years old.

Detectives Seek Assistance Solving 2006 Cold Case Murders of Two Women


WS thread for the 2 Marions:

VA - VA - Marion Marshall, 72, & Marion Newman, 74, Springfield, Aug & Nov 2006

 

[Suglo]

This article on how bone marrow transplants can affect one’s DNA results is fascinating.

When a DNA Test Says You’re a Younger Man, Who Lives 5,000 Miles Away

 

[imstilla.grandma]

GEDmatch, a pioneer in consumer genealogy, today announced that it has joined with forensic genomics firm Verogen, Inc. in a move that allows the company to ensure ongoing privacy protections and enhance the customer experience for users of its website.

“I am confident that we have found an ideal partner for GEDmatch,” said founder Curtis Rogers. “Verogen understands our philosophy and shares the vision of GEDmatch, which has always been about using science to connect people,” Rogers said. “Verogen is able to support our growth while staying true to our roots.”

GEDmatch allows users to upload genetic profiles created by other genealogy sites in order to expand the search for familial links. GEDmatch’s database currently has more than 1.3 million customer profiles and is gaining as many as 1,000 new users every day.

In the coming months, GEDmatch users will begin to see improvements to the website, such as an enhanced homepage that offers increased functionality, Verogen CEO Brett Williams said. Verogen will also bolster the GEDmatch platform, resulting in increased stability and optimal searchability. These back-end changes won’t disrupt the experience for users and, in fact, will make searching the database easier, Williams said.
GEDmatch Partners with Genomics Firm | Verogen

 

[margarita25]

Link courtesy of @JudgeJudi from another thread:

GEDmatch Acquired by Company With Ties to FBI & Law Enforcement—Why You Should Be Worried


“This week, GEDmatch, a genetic genealogy company that gained notoriety for giving law enforcement access to its customers’ DNA data, quietly informed its users it is now operated by Verogen, Inc., a company expressly formed two years ago to market “next-generation [DNA] sequencing” technology to crime labs.

What this means for GEDmatch’s 1.3 million users—and for the 60% of white Americans who share DNA with those users—remains to be seen.”

 

[Legally Bland]

I don't think Julie Fuller has been linked here yet. Unfortunately the suspect is deceased.

TX - TX - Julie Fuller, 11, Arlington, 27 June 1983

 

[watcher9]

California police have positively identified the remains of a teen who was found murdered 43 years ago as a 14-year-old missing girl.

The body was discovered by a man walking his dog in the Lake Merced neighborhood of San Francisco on Oct. 1, 1976, after the man saw the girl's hand protruding from the sand, according to a news release by the New Jersey State Police.

Investigators could only determine that the victim was a young Asian female who had a gold chain and owl pendant necklace in her pocket, but she was not identified as Judy Gifford until recent weeks, police said.

BBM
Remains of teen murdered in 1976 identified as 14-year-old missing girl

Identified! - CA - San Francisco, AsianFem 1273UFCA, 15-25, buried at Lake Merced, Oct'76 - Judy Gifford

Found Deceased - CA - Judy Gifford, 11, San Francisco, January 1, 1974

 

[Legally Bland]

A suspect has been arrested in the 1980 homicide of Helene Pruszynski, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday morning. The suspect has been identified as 62-year-old James Curtis Clanton. Investigators used genetic genealogy to link him to the crime.

[...]

In 2017, the DCSO Cold Case Unit reviewed advances in genetic genealogy and, with the help of Parabon NanoLabs and United Data Connect, as well as tools such as Ancestry.com and GEDmatch.com, they were able to identify the suspect.

James Curtis Clanton Arrested In 1980 Murder Of Helene Pruszynski

 

[Legally Bland]

WS thread for Helene:
CO - Helene Pruszynski, 21, Castle Rock, 16 Jan 1980 *Arrest*

 

[Niner]

Following Helene' case Legally Bland - thanks!

 

[Legally Bland]

Detailed article on a suspected serial rapist in Florida. I've redacted names from the family tree of people other than the suspect, it shows the centiMorgan values of the matches which I don't think I've seen before on criminal cases.

LARGO — A genealogy database has helped investigators crack two 21-year-old rape cases.

Genetic information from distant relatives linked Robert Brian Thomas, 61, to two violent rapes in 1998, one in Indian Rocks Beach and the other in Venice, Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced Monday.

Pinellas detectives arrested Thomas last week in Michigan. Gualtieri held a news conference to discuss the case, the first in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties to be solved using a database containing the genetic profiles of millions who submit their DNA, often to decipher their family trees.

Genealogy database leads to arrest in 1998 rapes, Pinellas sheriff says

 

[Legally Bland]

Advanced DNA testing has helped Fremont police to solve a 37-year-old case involving the murder of two teenagers, both 16, whose bodies were found in Fremont in what was then an undeveloped rural area. The victims were cousins Mary Jane Malatag and Jeffrey Flores Atup.

Fremont Police Dept. Detective Jacob Blass, who specializes in cold cases, said DNA testing at two labs, one in San Leandro and the other in Richmond, led them to suspect Clifton Hudspeth, who was 31 at the time and who died of a medical condition in 1999.

[...]

Police said the families of the two victims are dealing with the emotions of re-living the 1982 double homicides. The families have asked for privacy.

However, as a result of the DNA testing, Detective Blass speculates that there could be other victims. He said that Malatag had been sexually assaulted. With the connection made to Hudspeth and the release of his photo, he is hopeful that other potential sexual assault victims might step forward.

DNA testing helps Fremont police solve 37-year-old cold case murders of 2 teens



In 2018, Detective Jacob Blass, Fremont police's cold case homicide investigator, Jacob Blass, took a renewed look at the case and determined additional information was available that needed to be reviewed and they had the opportunity to use new DNA technology.

The same Investigative Genetic Genealogy process that was used in identifying Joseph DeAngelo as the suspect in the Golden State Killer case eventually identified Hudspeth as the suspect in the deaths of Malatag and Atup, police said.

Investigators learned that Hudspeth, who was 31 in 1982, had lived in Milpitas at the time of the crime and lived relatively close to where the teenagers had been seen walking.

Police said he had a history of violence, including bank robberies, sexual assaults and attempted homicide.

Sources were able to confirm Hudspeth was in the area of Jacklin Road in Milpitas on Dec. 19, 1982, at about the time Malatag and Atup were walking home, according to police.

Fremont: Police use DNA to solve cold-case murders of two teens

 

[Legally Bland]

An Arizona man linked through DNA to a series of rapes in San Diego and Riverside dating back to 1995 pleaded guilty on Tuesday to six counts of rape.

[...]

He agreed to accept a prison term of 50 years to life, Deputy District Attorney Martin Doyle said Tuesday.

[...]

In February, San Diego police investigators sought help from the FBI’s Forensic Genetic Genealogy Team in an effort to crack the case.

[...]

Investigators constructed a family tree to narrow down any relative who would have been physically able to commit the crime and who lived in the right region. That information led them to VanBusKirk in April.

Rapist pleads guilty in decades-old San Diego, Riverside cases

 

[Legally Bland]

New DNA technology leads Lakeland Police Department to arrest in 1981 murder of 31-year-old Linda Patterson Slaten. In custody is Joseph Clinton Mills, who was a youth football coach for one of Slaten’s sons.

[...]

New DNA technology offered by Parabon Nanolabs matched Mills’ DNA through a genetic genealogy report in June, according to a police report.

Lakeland police make arrest in cold case murder