2023 Cable News Network. Las Vegas police use DNA testing and genealogical research to solve 42-year-old homicide of teen girl, Its unfortunate my nephew never had the chance to know his mom, Dahn-Minter said during a police news conference. NEW YORK TEEN BRITTANEE DREXEL SENT EERIE TEXTS TO BOYFRIEND BEFORE DISAPPEARANCE, DEATH: REPORT. Schubert, only 18 at the time, had assisted other police departments on several cold cases. Cold Case detectives couldnt figure out the connection between Robertson and Dahn. Melissa, who had been living in Fort Worth the whole time, met her parents for the first time on November 26 at age 53. REMAINS OF LITTLE MISS NOBODY IDD AS NEW MEXICO GIRL, 4, ABDUCTED IN 1960 AND FOUND IN ARIZONA DESERT. Story tips can be sent to stephanie.pagones@fox.com and on Twitter: @steph_pagones. Legal Statement. A number of true crime updates came to light in 2022, with many cold cases solved through forensic genetic genealogy. When the officers arrived, they found the pair lying in the middle of the roadway next to the mothers car, both shot in the head, the document said. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. She was strangled in 1988. If a possible match is found, genealogists can build out family trees to help police find potential suspects. Nadine Madger was a Willoughby, Ohio, woman who was found murdered in January 1980. But in a Tuesday news conference, the Burlington Police Department announced that Curran's case was solved and the man responsible for the 24-year-old's murder, William DeRoos, died years ago. However, not all of these breakthroughs were the result of forensic genetic genealogy. ' It turned out that during her life, the young woman had used a number of aliases, including Kelly Carr, Sharon Wiley, Cheryl Wick, and Mercedes. The Burlington Police Department reactivated the case in 2019 when Lt. Detective Commander Jim Trieb put his whole team of detectives on the case. The body of a young child tragically known as "Little Miss Nobody" was identified in February after remaining a mystery for over 60 years. On July 10, 1991, a young woman was murdered at the Whitehall Motel in El Dorado, AK, by her ex-boyfriend and alleged pimp, James McAlphin. They declined to elaborate how they obtained his DNA when hes been dead for four years. In this case, it led back to Rueben Smith. The circumstances around what led up to her death remain a mystery, 34 years later -- but DNA evidence points to her killer. The woman took her fromher home in Fort Worth, Texas, in August 1971. No one deserves what happened to her.. Louise was eventually arrested for the double homicide in 2022.[3]. In May 1987, 23-year-old Shannon Lloyd of Orange County, California, was murdered in her apartment. Case Breakers calls for police to conduct a DNA test to verify their findings; Fox News' Eric Shawn has the details. Acting on the suspicions of her family in Mexico, authorities examined trace DNA from the ropes used to bind her, comparing it with DNA given by the family of Edward Geddes (pictured), Lina's husband, who had died by suicide in 2001. Moore, who was at the news conference via Zoom, credited the databases of DNA that are now available to scientists because of genealogy testing and the detectives who collected evidence at the time of the murder. Raymond Moody, now 62, pleaded guilty during an Oct. 19, 2022, hearing in Georgetown, South Carolina. The case went cold until 2007 when the states DNA lab was able to develop the suspects DNA profile using fluid that was left on Chiverellas jacket. According to one friend, Rice had told Knutson, One way or another, Im going to get you out of this house. Still, Rice had an alibi; she said she had been staying out of town at her family's farm all weekend. Cold case solved 34 years later when police trace DNA evidence from licked envelope | CNN Her slaying went unsolved for 34 years. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Physical evidence was able to close the deal in 2022. Updated At the time, the San Diego County Sheriffs homicide unit conducted an extensive investigation, but the department came up short on identifying a suspect until now. According to local news station WFAA, federal kidnapping charges, which have no statute of limitations, could still be filed, but only if certain criteria are met, such as the kidnapper crossing state lines or using mail to conduct the kidnapping. Authorities believe that Drexel's remains were buried on April 26, 2009, just one day after she was abducted. Investigators analyzed Kanes clothing and found traces of an unknown mans DNA. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Theyre trying to determine whether he knew Kane, and have urged anyone who knows the nature of their relationship to reach out. On May 11, 2022, the remains of Brittanee Drexel were found in South Carolina. (Nassau County District Attorney's Office). After being interviewed by troopers in his Arkansas home in early August 2020, Branch died by suicide. One March day in 1983, she turned down a stranger's request for a date and a short time later, her body was pulled from a nearby river (pictured), shocking what was at the time a cozy, tight-knit community, according to the Los Angeles Times. She described Dahn as an amazing person who played the violin and guitar. Witness testimony and even the confession of an alleged victim brought varying levels of closure to unsolved crimes. ". (Nassau County District Attorney's Office). The cases of Sophie Sergie and Marise Ann Chiverella went unsolved for decades, but thanks to DNA a. According to CNN, police were bereft of leads despite the local newspaper running a front-page story seeking information from the public until 15 months later, when a mysterious letter from a "concerned citizen" appeared on the editor's desk. Most of us love a good mystery - as long as it's in a book or a movie, and does not remain unsolved. Many questions still remain about the case, but Holly has reportedly been in contact with her newfound family members. Police released this image of James Paul Forte from his high school yearbook. The extensive family tree Schubert put together led investigators to James Forte, who had a record of violent sexual assault. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP). The technique is used to create family trees based on genetic similarities to hopefully lead back to the owner of the unknown sample. Jerome Frank Jones, 51, has been charged with aggravated murder in the 1994 deaths of Stacy Falcon-Dewey, 23, and her 3-year-old son, Jacob Dewey, in Renton, Washington, according to the documents filed Tuesday. part one: https://youtu.be/djTovLJF. The Serial podcast, HBO series, and other court hearings and investigations over the years had brought up, among other issues, questions about Syed's lawyer, who was disbarred in 2001, the lack of DNA evidence pointing to Syed at the murder scene, and the reliability of a witness. 60, College student with passion for genealogy helps solve Marise Chiverella cold case, Detectives: Joette Marie Smith taught us to not give up, Willoughby Police solve cold case with new DNA technology, Authorities Arrest Man Linked To 1975 Pennsylvania Murder By DNA Testing, Ten Cold Case Killings That Have Puzzled Police for Decades, 10 Years-Old Cold Cases That Were Solved by Cigarettes, 10 Famous Cold Cases That Could Be Solved In 2021, Top 10 Mysteries, Cold Cases & Puzzles That Were, Top 10 Best Movies Of The Last 10 Decades, Top 10 Best Comedy Duos Of The Last 10 Decades, 10 Abducted Children Who Found Their Way Home Decades Later, Top 10 Bizarre Elements Of The Elisa Lam Case, 10 Awesome New Discoveries About the Human Past from DNA, Ten True Tales from Americas Toughest Prison, 10 Times Members of Secretive Societies and Organizations Spilled the Beans, 10 Common Idioms with Unexpectedly Dark Origins, 10 North American Animals with Misplaced Reputations, Top 10 Creepiest and Strangest Homes on Zillow, Top Ten Worst Book to Movie Adaptations Ever Filmed, Ten Seriously Spooky Unsolved Spring Break Mysteries, 10 Significant Biblical Archaeology Discoveries, 10 Huge Songs You Didnt Know Were Written for Movies, 10 Amazing Animals That Can Detect Human Diseases, Top 10 Grim Cold Cases With Recent Twists And Turns, 10 Tragic Unsolved Cases Of Murdered Families, 10 Twisted Facts About Peter Kurten, The Vampire Of Dusseldorf, 10 Atrocious Experiments Conducted By Unit 731, 10 Loving Fathers Who Snapped And Slaughtered Their Families, 10 Seemingly Innocent People Who Were Secretly Monsters. Ten years later, investigators opened Dahns case again, looking for new leads and use of new technology. Detective Lt. Jason Moran, Cook County Sheriff's Office, Special Victims/Forensic Services Unit. (Jeff Highsmith). Both were signed "Jane Doe," and despite their best efforts, police were unable to identify the woman who would become known as the "Christmas tree lady" (via DC News Now). In May 2020, investigators started using investigative genetic genealogy, which combines DNA evidence and traditional genealogy, to find biological connection between people. Using genealogy techniques, detectives discovered that the murderer had ancestral origins in the small Italian town of Gasperina, and that only a couple thousand people with such ties lived in the area at the time of the killing. She was more than that, she was a victim. The police don't give up.". Mark Baron. 2. More than 27 years after a woman and her son were killed in a Seattle suburb, authorities have charged a man in their deaths. The most incriminating evidence: a cigarette butt found next to Curran's body that contained DNA evidence. Woman found dead in 1971 identified 52 years later after community fundraiser for DNA testing, How race affects social media efforts to find missing kids, hours of research through genealogical records and public records. The subsequent investigation led Santa Cruz County police to a man named Eric Drummond, who had reportedly previously asked Smith on a date and was declined. The first case is of Roxanne Leigh Wood from 1987, which was solved in March 2022, after. DeRoos was found dead of a drug overdose in a hotel room in 1986. "They couldn't have possibly imagined the power that we would have at this time to actually use that to narrow it down to one person.". A man confessed to the crime shortly after. She died of a gunshot wound to the head. I worked the streets.". That heartbreaking nickname was retired forever in 2022, thanks to DNA retrieved from the little girl's remains in 2015. Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said prosecutors were not confident in the integrity of the conviction after a state investigation. 2. DNA technology was credited with cracking the case. Reyes said shes still bothered by the image the media painted of her mother, who was unemployed at the time of her death. He then resurfaced in San Francisco in 1974 when he met his second wife, Sarah Hepting. By Hal Scheurich. "I am mourning my beautiful daughter Brittanee as I have for the past 13 years. It was hurtful. But it wasn't until 2022 that, you guessed it, advances in DNA technology finally allowed authorities to use an imperfect DNA profile to identify the victim as Dawn Olanick, whom it is believed Kinlaw murdered when she resisted his attempt to coerce her into prostitution. It was obtained legally through a search warrant, Trate said. The crime scene outside of the apartment complex where both Robertson and Dahn lived on May 2, 1988. By. Raymond Moody, 62, pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2022, in Georgetown, South Carolina, to raping and killing 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel in 2009. appreciated. Police checked the database monthly against all other criminals that had DNA in the system, said Brutosky. Vianne Falcon, Falcon-Deweys mother, told CNN affiliate KING on Wednesday that she was emotionally devastated by the loss of her daughter and grandson. Through that, police were able the get their first genealogical match: a very distant relative, possibly a 6th cousin, according to Brutosky. Further testing was done in 2001, but the profile was insufficient to place into a federal database of DNA from unsolved crimes or CODIS, police said. That letter happened to contain information that only the killer would be privy to, and saliva on the envelope was matched to that found on Kane's clothing. Richard Cottingham and victim Diane Cusick. Brett Bowen sent DNA from Loves sexual assault for advanced DNA testing and forensic genealogy. Police had gained new information about a party back in 2008 or 2009, where Rice allegedly admitted to the murder while intoxicated. Las Vegas police Lt. Ray Spencer announced Monday that advanced DNA testing helped investigators solve the cold case homicide of 16-year-old Kim Bryant. Investigators were surprised when Dean's sister, after learning of her brother's death, asked, Where's the baby?. Fortes name never came up over the years, police said, and they believe this was a random attack. In an interview with the suspect in a California prison, Jones confirmed he lived near Renton from 1994-1995 but denied ever meeting or knowing Falcon-Dewey, the document said. This is the fifth time the Sheriffs Homicide Unit has used investigative genetic genealogy to solve a cold case. Curran had just moved out of her parents' home for the first time to live in a house with three other roommates, whom she didn't know well. Then Reyes got a call last week from a detective about a stunning development in the case. Highsmiths mother gave her the job. Our family now knows the identity of her murderer, said Radtke. It is a compilation of videos I have made. Unfortunately, all the evidence against him was circumstantial, and without enough to connect Louise to the murder, the case went cold. Patrick Gilham pleaded no contest to murder of Roxanne Wood. But in November 2022, a DNA test from the website 23andMe connected Highsmith's children to the family she was born into. All rights reserved. His remains were identified 47 years later. After years of waiting for justice, she was relieved investigators finally had named her mothers killer. Then, in 2021, police turned to the relatively new field of genetic genealogy. Despite the abundance of blood at the scene, none of the DNA could be conclusively linked to anyone other than the victim. The DNA was eventually matched to one Ray Chapa, who at the time of the murder was Loves 19-year-old neighbor. While Chapa died in 2021, just nine months before being identified, police and the FBI are looking into the possibility that Chapa is connected to other crimes in other states.[4]. I couldnt believe it, she said, referring to the day police told her about the killings. Like so many other cold cases, the eventual identification of the killer hinged on one thing: The collection of DNA evidence at the scene of the murder, and its careful preservation. Today we take a look at 20 cold cases that were solved in 2022. Investigators determined she was sexually assaulted, murdered and left in the hole with all her belongings. Nearly 58 years ago, Marise Chiverella was murdered and her body left in a hole in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. In this case, it appears justice will indeed be served; as of this writing, Sinopoli is being held without bail, awaiting trial for Biechler's murder. But while while investigators had Grims DNA profile, there was nothing to identify him because he had never been arrested for anything that required his DNA to be put into the system, authorities said. Despite ongoing searches, his disappearance remained unsolved for over four years. We live in an era of incredible technology: cars, computers, and even robots. In 1974, Forte plead guilty to aggravated assault and served a year of probation, according to Baron. Jon Kadner sent DNA swabs from Kalitzkes sexual assault to forensic genealogists at Bode Technology. Beichlers case was revived in 2019 when prosecutors released composite images of a man whose DNA was supposedly left at the scene. Grim died in 2018, but through an undisclosed method, police were able to obtain a sample of his DNA to match the evidence retrieved from the letter. Meanwhile, Reyes still misses her mother. All Rights Reserved. Moore, who was at the news conference via Zoom, credited the databases of DNA that are now available to scientists because of genealogy testing and the detectives who collected evidence at the time of the murder. Rita Curran was violently murdered in her Vermont apartment in 1971 and the case remained a mystery for decades. Applying Modern Investigation Methods to Solve Cold Cases. Two years later, in 1989, a California woman, Renee Cuevas, was also found murdered. 12:45 PM EDT, Fri March 18, 2022. While initial tests done previously on the blood were inconclusive, advances in DNA testing allowed for the blood to be positively identified as belonging to George Peacock. She was portrayed as this slain prostitute, like she deserved what happened to her, said Reyes, 43, who lives in Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. But she was disappointed to learn that Grim had died in 2018 of natural causes at age 58 and will not pay for robbing her and her siblings of a childhood with a mother. While not all breaks have led to arrests just yet, police have been able to use modern DNA forensics technology and genetic genealogy to link evidence from crime scenes to a certain person or group. It also did not match the known DNA of the police's 13 main suspects. A look at the best and most underrated in entertainment, music, and sports in 2022. Family members who knew Dahn described her as a goofy, funny person who loved to draw qualities Beyer said, he too, has within him. It was abusive, and I ran away at 15 years old. 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cold case solved 2022