In the world of true crime, new technologies and investigative techniques often played a crucial role in solving crimes. Genetic genealogy, in recent years, helped investigators crack cases. In this episode of All Things Crime, Jared Bradley is joined by Barbara Rae-Venter and Tom Myers as they delve into the world of DNA and its role in capturing the Golden State Killer.

Barbara Rae-Venter shares the story of her quest to trace her family history to Scotland, which led her to discover DNA testing and connections with adoptees seeking relatives.

Tom Myers also sheds light on the process of using DNA to identify perpetrators and victims. Their work extended to solving the Bear Brook Four case in New Hampshire, where the killer employed aliases and stole identities to leave an unknown trail. Through DNA analysis and investigation, the team identified victims and the perpetrator.

This episode discusses that even rootless hair, believed to yield no nuclear DNA, can provide vital clues in solving crimes. Additionally, use of aerial photography to locate burial sites and the challenges posed by introduction of tiny DNA fragments during hair growth are explored, revealing the techniques used to crack these complex cases.

Barbara Rae-Venter is a New Zealand-born American genetic genealogist, biologist, author of the book “I Know Who You Are”, and retired patent attorney best known for her work helping police and investigators identify Joseph James DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer. She is also the Founder of Firebird Forensics Company, a non-profit company that focuses on assisting law enforcement in identifying suspects in violent crimes and identifying unidentified human remains.

Tom Myers is a retired FBI ERT leader, and has had an extensive background in law enforcement. He has been a CSI extraordinaire and a ranger.

Takeaways

1. Embrace the power of genetic genealogy.
2. Explore innovative techniques.
3. Discover your own roots.

Connect
Barbara Rae-Venter: www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-rae-venter
Website: www.firebirdforensics.org

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All Things Crime is a new, comprehensive video series that will explore every aspect of crime and the ensuing investigation, one video interview at a time. The host, Jared Bradley, is the President of M-Vac Systems, which is a wet-vacuum based forensic DNA collection system, and has experience traveling the world training all levels of law enforcement and crime lab DNA analysts in using the M-Vac to help solve crime.

Along the way he has met people from all walks of life and experience in investigating crimes, so is putting that knowledge to use in another way by sharing it in these videos. If you are interested in more videos about the M-Vac, DNA and investigations, also check out the M-Vac's channel @https://www.youtube.com/c/MVacSystems...

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