Commercial Genealogy Company Catches Golden State Killer

DooKey

DooKey

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Commercial genealogy resulted in the capture of a person alleged to be the Golden State Killer when police used results from a genealogy company to match up to genetic material from the killer. At this point in time it's not clear which company assisted police, but once again it shows what you think might be private, really isn't. However, if you read the disclaimer from many of these companies it does mention that results can be shared with the police if they receive a warrant. Maybe you should keep your DNA to yourself and while you're at it consider not sharing every little bit of your personal information with social media. Big brother is watching.

Details about exactly what happened in the Golden State Killer investigation remain murky, but here’s what’s known: Investigators took DNA collected years ago from one of the crime scenes and submitted it in some form to one or more websites that have built up a vast database of consumer genetic information.
 
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for the fact they caught this guy and I think its clever that they submitted his DNA to one of these places. I do wonder, however, isn't there some legality issues in submitting someone else's DNA to one of these places without their written consent? That part seems a little strange to me and somewhat discerning to say the least. I've seen some wonderful stories of the positive things that can occur with these services but it's pretty easy to imagine the racial profiling that could occur for certain groups if they can gather anything they choose for their own agenda.
 
lostin3d said:
someone else's DNA to one of these places without their written consent
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From the story I read the police used DNA taken from the crime scene. So a little hard to get permission from the unknown criminal ;). The DNA the genealogy sites had was volunteered...mostly seems to have been from attempts to match up unknown murder victims with relatives trying to find missing people. This criminals' bad luck some of his relatives had submitted DNA...everyone else's good luck.
The other lesson for criminals is don't leave your DNA behind (a lot this guys crimes happened before forensic DNA analysis was practical) or if you have don't put anything in the garbage with your DNA on it.
 
do the crime do the time. the family member helped bring down a serial rapist and murderer... come on now. They are not using it to find out what fapping tubes your in to.
 
Anyone who has served in the military has had their DNA cataloged. I don't know how I would feel if that happened to every person. It would make DNA evidence much more useful (if they even tested it, the latest stories about untested rape kits is appalling), at the expense of your privacy. I don't know if submitting DNA is really invading your privacy though. Grey area for sure
 
If you are a prolific rapist murderer and you voluntarily submit your DNA to any collection service you clearly have your priorities misplaced.
 
Eickst said:
Anyone who has served in the military has had their DNA cataloged. I don't know how I would feel if that happened to every person. It would make DNA evidence much more useful (if they even tested it, the latest stories about untested rape kits is appalling), at the expense of your privacy. I don't know if submitting DNA is really invading your privacy though. Grey area for sure
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In CA anyone accused of a felony must submit their DNA for inclusion in a data base.
oldmanbal said:
If you are a prolific rapist murderer and you voluntarily submit your DNA to any collection service you clearly have your priorities misplaced.
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That's not what happened, some relative of his submitted their own DNA...he was caught by familial DNA.
 
WhoMe said:
From the story I read the police used DNA taken from the crime scene. So a little hard to get permission from the unknown criminal ;). The DNA the genealogy sites had was volunteered...mostly seems to have been from attempts to match up unknown murder victims with relatives trying to find missing people. This criminals' bad luck some of his relatives had submitted DNA...everyone else's good luck.
The other lesson for criminals is don't leave your DNA behind (a lot this guys crimes happened before forensic DNA analysis was practical) or if you have don't put anything in the garbage with your DNA on it.
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Or how about the lesson of "Dont be a serial murderer rapist."

I'm split on the topic of privacy. Do I have a problem with what they did in this case? Not at all. Do I have concerns with how far they will take this? Yes.
 
.. and here I was worried about illegal alien-hybrid clones, genetically linked bio weapons, or insurance rate hikes. *chuff* How rude!

GEDmatch said in its statement that it had warned those who used its site that the genetic information could be used for other purposes. “If you are concerned about non-geneatological uses of your DNA, you should not upload your DNA to the database and/or you should remove DNA that has already been uploaded,” the statement said.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/26/us/golden-state-killer.html
 
mord said:
Or how about the lesson of "Dont be a serial murderer rapist."

I'm split on the topic of privacy. Do I have a problem with what they did in this case? Not at all. Do I have concerns with how far they will take this? Yes.
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History has an answer to that, these psychopath types will always be around (but don't exacerbate it with things like leaded gasoline).

And yep that's always the age old question. But I think the writing is already on the wall with this one...we aren't far from mandatory DNA collection of everyone. And wouldn't surprise me to see mandatory ID chips too (like that ones in dogs, but probably with tracking "features" and will be sold to the sheep as a way to not worry about their children or senile parents getting lost). No I'm not cynical, not one bit.
 
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travisty said:
... so the key is: Don't be related to anyone ever
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i have this feeling about most of my family.. often.

I joke with the wife i must have been abandoned by aliens or somehow switched in the hospital.. as my family and I are WILDLY different kinds of people.


hahahaha
 
WhoMe said:
History has an answer to that, these psychopath types will always be around (but don't exacerbate it with things like leaded gasoline).

And yep that's always the age old question. But I think the writing is already on the wall with this one...we aren't far from mandatory DNA collection of everyone. And wouldn't surprise me to see mandatory ID chips too (like that ones in dogs, but probably with tracking "features" and will be sold to the sheep as a way to not worry about their children or senile parents getting lost). No I'm not cynical, not one bit.
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They already sell RFID implants for people... I sure hope they never get the tech small enough to have GPS implants for people. Then again, what would be the point? By the time most kids are tweens they are already carrying around a smart phone... which is absolutely stupid IMO.
 
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WhoMe said:
History has an answer to that, these psychopath types will always be around (but don't exacerbate it with things like leaded gasoline).

And yep that's always the age old question. But I think the writing is already on the wall with this one...we aren't far from mandatory DNA collection of everyone. And wouldn't surprise me to see mandatory ID chips too (like that ones in dogs, but probably with tracking "features" and will be sold to the sheep as a way to not worry about their children or senile parents getting lost). No I'm not cynical, not one bit.
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First it was 1984 being used as a manual, now it's Demolition Man.
 
cyclone3d said:
They already sell RFID implants for people... I sure hope they never get the tech small enough to have GPS implants for people. Then again, what would be the point? By the time most kids are tweens they are already carrying around a smart phone... which is absolutely stupid IMO.
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I wasn't really thinking GPS, though could certainly happen if satellite signal detection ability gets stronger along with shrinking tech. I was thinking more along the line of check points where RFID logs that you've passed through (and these could be invisible checkpoints installed in many locations).
 
Grew up as a military brat.
Overseas.
Fingerprints and blood samples taken multiple times.
The government has had my DNA on record for decades.
 
WhoMe said:
That's not what happened, some relative of his submitted their own DNA...he was caught by familial DNA.
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I really wish people understood this!!! Everyone is assuming that the companies gave out user info.
 
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Those online geneology places are ultimately to connect your family medical history to you. You may tell them nothing, but if half your family disclose they are diabetic and that gets connected to you through your family tree. I'm pretty sure your statistical probability of being diabetic shoots up through the roof. A prospective employer sees that thinks of the work loss and medical expense in the future and will say pass.

Someone on one side of the family has already uploaded a detail genealogy probably not realizing they just hurt the employment chances of the nieces and nephews. Don't think for a second people don't accrue data and piece it together.
 
So someone clear this up for me: How would that warrant even work? Did they have someone in mind, find out one of his family was on a genealogy website and get a warrant for the family members DNA? Did they just send a DNA sample to the genealogy site and say hey does anyone match this or come close(that's a pretty broad reaching warrant isn't it)? I mean if the rapist wasn't on the site then what did these family members do that justified a warrant for their DNA?
 
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Montu said:
. Big brother is watching.

.
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Sadly Big Brother doesn't have to watch anymore. He probably wishes he could close his eyes so as not so see all the private bits that are out in the public for the world to see.
 
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Spidey329 said:
So what're you thinking, just be a serial murderer? Less chance of DNA that way!
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Ha, not exactly my intent, but I suppose technically it's an improvement. From a moral or a "dont get caught" point of view.
 
oROEchimaru said:
do the crime do the time. the family member helped bring down a serial rapist and murderer... come on now. They are not using it to find out what fapping tubes your in to.
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First they came for the serial murderers, and I said nothing.
...
Then they came for the fappers, and there was nobody left to speak for me.

j/k hope they fry that guy.
 
VSpeck said:
So someone clear this up for me: How would that warrant even work? Did they have someone in mind, find out one of his family was on a genealogy website and get a warrant for the family members DNA? Did they just send a DNA sample to the genealogy site and say hey does anyone match this or come close(that's a pretty broad reaching warrant isn't it)? I mean if the rapist wasn't on the site then what did these family members do that justified a warrant for their DNA?
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Now-now-now, lets not get hung up on the legality of all of this. Someone had an idea and the company complied. What does the company care? They said they would share data with the police, didn't say how specific the police had to be with the wording of said warrant.

These companies should be outlawed and the hard drives scrubbed with thermite. Having this kind of data is far worse than what Trans Union and the like have. Bad part is retards pay them to take it.
 
I actually have a lot of concern over this, How accurate is this GEDmatch. DNA evidence is a lot like fingerprint evidence in that everyone thinks it's 100%, when in practice so few points of reference are typically used that it's actually a really bad way to ID someone. Many similar genealogy sites have come under fire for using too much guestimation in their work, so I do question a lot of the result of this effort.
 
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