Page 74 of The Bone Code
“Did you come across any mention of forensic genetic genealogy?” I asked.
“Give me a hint.”
“The Golden State Killer?”
“Sure did. Some genealogist helped the cops nail that turd.”
“GEDmatch was the name of the site used to ID the guy,” I said. “GEDmatch doesn’t offer DNA testing but allows users to upload results from companies like 23andMe or AncestryDNA. They claim to be able to identify a third cousin or closer for more than ninety percent of the population.”
“So how does it work?” Anne asked through the crinkle of cellophane. I wondered what she was eating.
“It’s not so different from, say, an adoptee looking for a birth parent. You do your DNA test—”
“By mailing off a swab.”
“You then upload your DNA results to an open-source database like GEDmatch. In most cases, the matches they find will be distant cousins. That’s where the genealogists come in. They piece together family trees by cross-referencing shared bits of DNA with things like gender, age, place of residence, obituaries, public records, social-media profiles, et cetera. In criminal cases, law enforcement might actually go out and contact family members for additional info or more DNA.”
“To narrow down the possible hits.”
“Yes.”
“You said a databaselikeGEDmatch. There are others?”
“Many. FamilyTreeDNA, for example.”
“Wait.” Loud syrupy swallow. “I’ve seen their ad. The one with the father of that kid who escaped her kidnapper.”
“Elizabeth Smart.”
“That’s her. The dad urges viewers to submit their DNA to help catch offenders.”
“A good spokesman helps create demand, and there’s a lot of money to be made. I think I read that FamilyTreeDNA recently raised its price to law enforcement from one hundred to seven hundred dollars a pop. And they’re hiring like crazy.”
More cellophane. “Go on.”
“What are you eating?”
“Snickers. I bought a bag for trick-or-treaters.”
God, that sounded good.
“So…” I was searching for the right way to frame it.
“Let me guess. Even with DNA, you’ve run into a wall with your container victims. So you’re thinking you might try forensic genealogy.”
“I am.”
“It’s a long shot.”
“From here to the outer rim.”
“Go for it.”
18
Saturday, October 30–Friday, November 5
Next, I phoned Claire Willoughby on her mobile.
