by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested this week in connection with twelve murders, at least forty-five rapes, and more than a hundred house ransackings and burglaries that occurred in Sacramento, San Francisco, and across central and southern California between 1976 and 1986. DNA found at some of the crime scenes has apparently been matched to that of DeAngelo.
The series of crimes had received extensive coverage in the press over the past forty years with the perpetrator being labeled with various nom de plumes such as the "East Area Rapist," the "Original Night Stalker," the "Diamond Knot Killer," the "Visalia Ransacker," and, most often, the "Golden State Killer."
DeAngelo, who is seventy-two now, was a policeman at the time the crime spree began, but he was fired in 1979 after stealing a hammer and a can of dog repellent from a store. He had spent most of the past three decades working at a distribution center for a large grocery chain.
The series of crimes had become one of the coldest cases in the country, but in 2016, forty years after the spree began and thirty years after it ended, authorities reopened the case and took a fresh look. At that time they posted a $50,000 reward for new information that would lead to an arrest and conviction of the murderous culprit. They were also able to come up with some DNA off of old evidence, DNA which they hoped was linked to the perpetrator.
Then the renewed investigation took a creative turn. Officials submitted the DNA that they had collected to one (or possibly more) genealogy web sites that test DNA to make family connections. They received enough information from hits to form a list of potential relatives to the killer.
(One does not have to submit DNA to a genealogy web site in order to be caught up in an investigation. Aunt Betty in Flagstaff could have submitted hers, and it could have matched the evidence to such a degree that it became worthwhile to take a look at her close blood relatives.)
Joseph James DeAngelo was a former policeman living in an area where the first crimes had been reported. He had been married and divorced during the time of the crime spree, and he had been arrested for stealing a hammer and dog repellent, both items that could have figured into the criminal activity.
Authorities them collected some DNA that Mr. DeAngelo had unwittingly discarded - or, in other words, they went through his trash and found personal items with his DNA - hair from a comb, toenail clippings, an old snot rag, etc - and after a close examination of the purloined samples, they knew they had their man.
Ain't science grand!
Most of the major genealogy web sites that do DNA analysis for their subscribers stress that their results are strictly confidential. The results are used to show people migration routes that their ancestors followed, as well as to connect likely relatives who desire to be connected. Most of the sites also advise their clients that they will roll over on them in the event they are served with a court order to do so. DNA samples from some unwitting cousin (or cousins) put the police onto Joseph James DeAngelo - and that DNA wound up revealing a family story that will make a very interesting ornament on someone's family tree.
So far DeAngelo has been charged with eight counts of murder, and more charges are likely. The family genes are apparently a tight fit!
Citizen Journalist
Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested this week in connection with twelve murders, at least forty-five rapes, and more than a hundred house ransackings and burglaries that occurred in Sacramento, San Francisco, and across central and southern California between 1976 and 1986. DNA found at some of the crime scenes has apparently been matched to that of DeAngelo.
The series of crimes had received extensive coverage in the press over the past forty years with the perpetrator being labeled with various nom de plumes such as the "East Area Rapist," the "Original Night Stalker," the "Diamond Knot Killer," the "Visalia Ransacker," and, most often, the "Golden State Killer."
DeAngelo, who is seventy-two now, was a policeman at the time the crime spree began, but he was fired in 1979 after stealing a hammer and a can of dog repellent from a store. He had spent most of the past three decades working at a distribution center for a large grocery chain.
The series of crimes had become one of the coldest cases in the country, but in 2016, forty years after the spree began and thirty years after it ended, authorities reopened the case and took a fresh look. At that time they posted a $50,000 reward for new information that would lead to an arrest and conviction of the murderous culprit. They were also able to come up with some DNA off of old evidence, DNA which they hoped was linked to the perpetrator.
Then the renewed investigation took a creative turn. Officials submitted the DNA that they had collected to one (or possibly more) genealogy web sites that test DNA to make family connections. They received enough information from hits to form a list of potential relatives to the killer.
(One does not have to submit DNA to a genealogy web site in order to be caught up in an investigation. Aunt Betty in Flagstaff could have submitted hers, and it could have matched the evidence to such a degree that it became worthwhile to take a look at her close blood relatives.)
Joseph James DeAngelo was a former policeman living in an area where the first crimes had been reported. He had been married and divorced during the time of the crime spree, and he had been arrested for stealing a hammer and dog repellent, both items that could have figured into the criminal activity.
Authorities them collected some DNA that Mr. DeAngelo had unwittingly discarded - or, in other words, they went through his trash and found personal items with his DNA - hair from a comb, toenail clippings, an old snot rag, etc - and after a close examination of the purloined samples, they knew they had their man.
Ain't science grand!
Most of the major genealogy web sites that do DNA analysis for their subscribers stress that their results are strictly confidential. The results are used to show people migration routes that their ancestors followed, as well as to connect likely relatives who desire to be connected. Most of the sites also advise their clients that they will roll over on them in the event they are served with a court order to do so. DNA samples from some unwitting cousin (or cousins) put the police onto Joseph James DeAngelo - and that DNA wound up revealing a family story that will make a very interesting ornament on someone's family tree.
So far DeAngelo has been charged with eight counts of murder, and more charges are likely. The family genes are apparently a tight fit!
1 comment:
In this case law enforcement used a free site, GEDMatch, to nab their alleged bad guy. Other DNA detecting sites such as 23AndMe and Ancestry.com do not hand over data to law enforcement. That apparently is not to say that a person's relatives, close and distant, may not unwittingly rat fink their criminal cousins out. Seems that data from the reputable (you have to pay for this information) site can then be sent to a free site. Once on the free site all bets as to expectations of privacy are off. While law enforcement used their cyber sleuthing skills on GEDMatch those folks were unaware of their roll in the criminal investigation. The Fourth Amendment gives you rights to be secure in your person, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures; but as to insulating you from your damn relatives, not so much!
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