Jonbenét Ramsay's father believes the DNA technology used to solve the Golden State Killer serial killer case could be the key in finding his daughter's killer.
In an interview with CNN, John Ramsay expressed confidence in the investigators now leading the case. He also said asked investigators to use the technology to finally track down the person responsible for the murder of his 6-year-old daughter on Christmas night in 1996 in Boulder, Colorado.
"I'm very satisfied and impressed with the leadership now in place (at the Boulder Police Department) and believe they are committed to do all that can be done using the latest technology and available resources to identify the killer. That is all we can ask for," Ramsey told CNN.
Among the first uses of genetic genealogy was in the solving of the 'Golden State Killer' case. Joseph DeAngelo, a former police officer, was arrested in 2018 and pled guilty in 2020 to murdering 13 people and raping more than 50 women. The cases stemmed from the 1970s and 1980s, Forbes reported.
The process involved using the DNA of the suspect left at crime scenes and using it in concert with DNA databases to create family trees and identify potential suspects, Forbes reported. The hereditary databases are public and people often upload their DNA voluntary to create family histories and find long lost relatives.
Essentially, law enforcement puts the suspect DNA into a database and sees if there are any relatives within the database Forbes reported. They then begin building family trees in an attempt to identify suspects.
The use of the technology and technique is currently being debated in the Bryan Kohberger case in Idaho and the stabbing deaths of four college students. Police used genetic genealogy to tie the crime to Kohberger, and defense attorneys have challenged the evidence and the process.
