THE REAL HERO: DNA

How DNA Has Solved Cold Cases

DNA testing has been used to solve cold cases since 1987, first used to catch serial rapist Tommie Lee Andrews. The case involved a woman in Florida who was raped when her house was burglarized at night. After the police chased the suspect, they searched his car and found items connecting him to other crimes in the area. The police tested the DNA found in the car and in the other victims’ houses and arrested Tommie Lee Andrews when the match was confirmed. It is estimated that over 400 cases have been solved with DNA testing in America alone.

DNA testing has greatly improved since 1987 with the creation of new technology. A recent technological advancement is known as Next Generation Sequencing. This sequencing has revolutionized the use of DNA testing in crime, especially in cold cases. This technology can read through several fragments of DNA at the same time, causing the results and timing of the testing to occur faster and at a cheaper cost. An additional benefit of this technology is an increase in accuracy. Another advancement known as familial genealogy allows DNA samples to be traced to any related DNA in public databases and leads them to previously unknown suspects.

These advancements in DNA testing technology have also helped solve cold cases that are over 60 years old. One such example is a double homicide that occurred in January of 1956 in Great Falls, Montana. A couple-Lloyd Duane Bogle, age 18, and Patricia Ka- litzke, age 16, were found dead, and DNA was found on Kalitzke. However, at the time there was no way to test that DNA. Later, advancements in testing technology allowed detectives to trace the sample of DNA found and search it in all public databases. This technology allowed detectives to connect the DNA to any relatives in any recorded database and connect it back to the criminal. In this case, the killer was found but had passed away 14 years prior. To prove his guilt, detectives once again used DNA testing from his ashes which matched up with the DNA found on the victim.

Due to the efficiency and capabilities of current DNA testing, families of the victims of cold cases are demanding that cases be re-examined. One such case is the infamous murder of Jon Benet Ramsey. The father of Jon Benet, John Ramsey, has recently demanded that his daughter’s case be moved to a private agency with advanced DNA testing technology instead of the local police office which has never had to deal with a large criminal case. He has stated that similarly to the case of the Golden State Killer, where familial genealogy was used to apprehend the killer, advanced DNA testing can be used to find the killer using previously found DNA samples and samples considered unusable.

DNA testing has solved numerous crimes and, as technology progresses, it will continue to revolutionize the way crime can be solved and bring justice to victims even several decades later.