With worldwide massive interest in the Netflix series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and true crime in general, Four Corners looks at genetic genealogy and how this may assist in catching criminals and predators in the likes of Dahmer.
Below is the media release from ABC as well as the promo for the next episode airing Monday 10th October.
How genealogy databases are being used to hunt criminals
“He was a predator that was very sophisticated, highly intelligent, he employed tactics that most serial rapists or serial killers don’t employ.” US investigator
Joseph DeAngelo – known as the Golden State killer – was one of America’s most prolific serial killers, responsible for more than 50 rapes and 13 murders. He’d gone undetected for 40 years until investigators decided to try something different. They sent his DNA to an online genealogy research service.
“Think about this, the Golden State killer case, for 44 years, 15 different law enforcement jurisdictions. With the genealogy tool, it took six of us four and a half months!” Cold case investigator
Since this case was solved, genetic genealogy has been used to catch hundreds of killers in the United States. On Monday Four Corners examines how genealogy databases around the world are being used to solve crimes and cold cases.
“The hiding places are taken away; they can no longer hide and do their horrible deeds because we will find them and they have to know that.” US detective
The program also looks at the emergence of a new form of private investigator: the DNA detective.
“I don’t need everyone’s DNA; I really just need a very small percentage of the population. It’s somewhere between 1 and 3 per cent of the population. That would be enough to solve many of the cold cases.” DNA detective
As DNA databases continue to grow, law enforcement agencies are becoming increasingly confident criminals will eventually be exposed.
“Anyone who has left their DNA behind at a crime scene should plan on being identified. It might be next week, it might be next year, it might take a little more time but there is no doubt that they will be identified.” DNA detective
It is replayed on Tuesday 11th October at 11.00pm and Wednesday 12th October at 10am. It can also been seen on ABC NEWS channel on Saturday at 8.10pm AEDT, ABC iview and at abc.net.au/4corners.
FOUR CORNERS: DNA – THE END OF CRIME? – Monday 10th October 2022 at 8:30pm on ABC and iview