NEW ERA

Prosecutors Obtain First Conviction Using Genetic Genealogy

The forensic technique uses DNA samples to find relatives of suspects, then the suspects themselves.

Jurors in Washington state on Friday found a man guilty on two counts of murder after detectives tracked him down using genetic genealogy, making William Talbott II the first person convicted of murder after being singled out by the technique. Investigators employ the technique by using DNA samples to find relatives of suspects, then the suspects themselves to solve decades-old cold cases. Last year, authorities used the process to find the alleged Golden State Killer, who is believed responsible for 12 murders and 45 rapes across California in the 1970s and 1980s. In last week’s trial, Talbott was found guilty of murdering a young Canadian couple in 1987. Detectives said a semen sample collected from the clothing of a victim led to two second cousins of the suspect before pointing authorities to Talbott.