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Genealogy is the study of one's family heritage, focusing on uncovering relationships and connections within a family tree. Genealogists aim to identify familial links by examining historical records, such as birth, death, and marriage certificates, along with census data.
A new phenomenon is emerging: tracing family origins through DNA testing. In 2018, more individuals submitted their DNA for genealogical research than in all previous years combined.
The vast collection of genetic profiles now present in genealogy databases is being utilized for unexpected purposes. Cold cases are revisited, identity thefts are uncovered, and long-forgotten mysteries are unraveled. A nonprofit organization has even been founded to harness DNA samples for these purposes.
Here are 10 surprising outcomes of the genealogy DNA craze.
10. The Golden State Killer (East Area Rapist)
In the 1970s, Joseph James DeAngelo wreaked havoc across California. Known as the ‘East Area Rapist’ and the ‘Golden State Killer,’ he murdered at least eight victims and sexually assaulted up to 50 women during his crime spree. His true identity remained a mystery for years as multiple heinous crimes went unsolved.
DeAngelo was finally apprehended in 2018. The man behind decades of terror had been a police officer for much of his criminal activity before being dismissed for shoplifting. He was caught after investigators collected a DNA sample from his door handle while he was at a Hobby Lobby store.
DeAngelo left DNA evidence at several crime scenes. However, investigators could only identify him after submitting his genetic profile to genealogy databases, which people typically use to trace their family histories and uncover new relatives.
9. Double Murderer Captured
In 1987, 18-year-old Tanya Van Cuylenborg set off from British Columbia for a vacation with her 21-year-old boyfriend, Jay Cook. They never reached their destination, and their bodies were found shortly thereafter. Despite investigating around 350 suspects, the case went cold and remained unsolved.
This all changed in early 2018 when police partnered with a private lab to analyze crime scene DNA in the same way investigators had tracked down Joseph James DeAngelo. Their breakthrough led them to William Earl Talbott II, a commercial truck driver.
Just three weeks after DeAngelo's arrest, and with the help of a discarded coffee cup, authorities revealed they had used the same genealogical method to apprehend the man they believe is responsible for these two murders.
8. Rapist-Murderer Captured
Genealogical DNA played a key role in solving the cold case of a 12-year-old girl who was raped and murdered in 1986. After dropping her sisters off at a park, Michella Welch returned home to prepare sandwiches. When her sisters did not come back, Welch went to search for them, but she disappeared. Her body was found later that evening.
After three decades without any significant leads, investigators turned to genealogical DNA. A sample from the crime scene was used to create a genetic profile, which was then compared to public records. The investigation eventually narrowed down the suspect to one of two brothers.
Police obtained utensils used by the brothers and focused their attention on Gary Hartman. He was arrested in June 2018 on charges of first-degree rape and first-degree murder.
7. Missing Father Discovered
In 1993, Richard Hoagland contacted his wife after work, saying he felt unwell and needed to go to the hospital. The father of two boys vanished that evening.
When a card from Hoagland arrived that summer for his sons, authorities grew suspicious of his wife, suspecting a staged disappearance. Their concerns were ultimately unfounded, and the wife was exonerated. Hoagland was declared legally dead 10 years later.
However, Hoagland was never truly dead. He had abandoned his family, assumed the identity of a deceased fisherman, remarried, and even had a child with his new wife.
He might have gotten away with it if not for genealogy. In 2016, the real nephew of the deceased fisherman was working on a genealogy project on Ancestry.com. He was surprised to find his supposedly dead uncle had remarried years after his death.
Police investigated further, leading to Hoagland's eventual confession. He was convicted of identity theft and ordered to pay almost $2 million in back child support.
6. Teacher Murder Suspect Captured
In December 1992, 25-year-old schoolteacher Christy Mirack failed to show up for work. A concerned coworker went to her home and discovered she had been raped and murdered. While investigators had several leads, the case went cold for decades without significant progress.
Recently, police collaborated with a private lab to analyze DNA from a crime scene and create a genotype of the perpetrator. When the profile was cross-referenced with a public genealogy DNA database, a match was found.
The DNA was linked to Raymond Rowe, a well-known DJ who performed under the name 'DJ Freez.' After a show at an elementary school, he left behind a water bottle and a piece of gum, which police used to confirm his identity. Rowe was arrested and is currently being held without bail.
5. Identity of Deceased Mother Uncovered
Kimberly McLean, struggling with her parents' divorce, ran away from her Pennsylvania home at 18. She instructed her parents not to search for her and went to great lengths to conceal her identity, changing her name twice. Living under the alias Lori Ruff, she moved to Texas, married, and had a child. However, the burdens of life eventually became too much, and McLean took her own life.
A lockbox discovered after McLean’s funeral revealed many aspects of her troubled life, though it did not contain any information regarding her true identity. Her family collaborated with a Social Security investigator to uncover the truth, exploring all leads and even publishing a newspaper article about the mystery. It wasn’t until genealogical DNA came into play that it was revealed that the woman from Pennsylvania and the suicide victim from Texas were one and the same.
A forensic genealogist utilized McLean’s daughter’s DNA and submitted it to several genealogy companies with vast databases. Using the information gathered, a family tree was constructed, leading to the discovery of extended family members who confirmed Lori Ruff’s identity as Kimberly McLean.
4. New Hampshire Murder Mystery Solved
One of New Hampshire’s most perplexing murder cases was unraveled through genealogy and DNA. In 1985, a steel drum containing dismembered human remains was discovered in a state park. Another drum was found in 2000 when a new state trooper reexamined the case, uncovering additional remains that had been overlooked in 1985. Despite identifying at least 476 individuals who had been in the area, investigators had never been able to pinpoint a suspect.
A genealogist used DNA to uncover that the murderer was the father of one of the children discovered in the barrels. Terry Peder Rasmussen—who went by several aliases, including Curtis Mayo Kimball, Bob Evans, Gordon Jenson, and Larry Vanner—had already been imprisoned for the murder and dismemberment of his wife and is suspected of being responsible for the deaths of at least six women and children.
Rasmussen was unable to confess, as he passed away years earlier while serving his sentence for murder.
3. Cold Case Coalition Formed
The growing number of cold cases solved through genealogical DNA has led to the establishment of an organization dedicated to the cause.
The Utah Cold Case Coalition is a nonprofit organization dedicated to solving cold cases. Initially formed to raise awareness about a 1995 unsolved murder, the organization has expanded its mission to assist families in a range of ongoing cases across Utah, a state where genealogy is a widely cherished pastime. The group welcomes anonymous tips, offers rewards, and encourages people to submit genealogical DNA samples for comparison with available databases.
"Our coalition has identified several unsolved murders where DNA is available for comparison, but it doesn’t match any records in law enforcement databases," said cofounder Karra Porter. "Genealogists could help solve these crimes."
2. Titanic Mystery Solved
Genealogical DNA played a critical role in resolving a long-standing mystery about whether Loraine Allison survived the 1912 Titanic disaster. At just two years old, Allison was aboard the doomed ship when it sank, and initial reports indicated her death. However, while her parents' bodies were discovered, there was no conclusive evidence that Allison had perished.
Nearly 30 years later, a woman named Helen Kramer appeared on the radio program We the People, claiming to be Loraine Allison. Her story was met with skepticism, and few of her relatives believed her assertions. When Kramer passed away in 1992, the mystery remained unresolved, earning her story the title of the last great enigma of the Titanic.
A team of Titanic researchers unraveled the mystery by collecting DNA from Kramer’s surviving relatives and conducting identification tests commonly used in genealogical studies. The results confirmed that Kramer's claims were fabricated, revealing the story to be a hoax.
1. Taunting Killer Tracked Down
Thirty years ago, the body of eight-year-old April Tinsley was discovered in a ditch in Indiana. Two years later, police found a disturbing note in a barn, mocking them for their failed investigation. It read, "I kill 8-year-old April M Tinsley did you find her other shoe haha i will kill agin." The killer continued to send similar notes and threats to police over the next decade, claiming further victims.
This 30-year-old cold case was finally solved in 2018 thanks to DNA from genealogical databases. By comparing DNA from the crime scene and the taunting notes, genealogists were able to identify the killer, applying the same method typically used for helping adopted individuals trace their biological parents.
John D. Miller was interrogated by authorities and eventually admitted to the kidnapping, sexual assault, and murder of Tinsley.
