Genetic Genealogy has Solved Dozens of Cold Case Murders in America Since 2018. More than 90% were White Victims.

The increased popularity of websites such as AncestryDNA and GEDmatch among people all over the world hoping to find long lost family members and information about their genetics is also generating new leads for law enforcement on decades-old cold cases.. While these advancements in DNA technology seem to be a ‘win-win’ for both law enforcement and families of cold case victims, some people are concerned about the ethical issues use of these databases may raise.

 The landmark case that is associated with the success of genetic genealogy is the Golden State Killer case. Despite having the killer’s DNA profile for years, investigators were unable to match it to a suspect. It wasn’t until they uploaded the DNA sequence into GEDmatch that investigators found a familial connection—the killer’s third cousin. After narrowing down the family tree using traditional detective work and process of elimination, the Golden State Killer was identified as Joseph James DeAngelo.  

 Investigative journalists from The Atlantic conducted a comprehensive analysis of cases that were solved using genetic genealogy between 2018 and 2020. Law enforcement provided the racial demographics for 89 out of the 106 total victims whose killers had been caught by genetic genealogy. Of those 89 victims, only four were Black and 79 were white. In stark contrast, according to FBI statistics from 2019, over half of murder victims were Black. Why aren’t the cases solved by genetic genealogy racially proportionate to FBI statistics?

 There are many reasons for the racial disparity in genetic genealogy testing. Ryan Backmann, the founder of the advocacy group called Project Cold Case, estimates that three-quarters of homicide victims in cold-cases are Black. According to Backmann, law enforcement is selective with what cases are prioritized in genetic testing. Considering the systemic racism embedded within law enforcement, it is not a surprise that the cases deemed ‘high-priority’ by law enforcement are usually those where the victim is white.

 Though genetic genealogy is still relatively new, there will be a plethora of cold cases solved, which is great. However, we must remember that Black, Brown, and Indigenous cold case murder victims deserve to benefit from genetic genealogy testing too. Their families also deserve answers.