The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant provided additional resources for the investigation, supporting the city’s efforts to delve into unsolved sexual assault crimes, Cox added.
In addition to addressing specific cases, the DNA evidence collected was added to the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
Commissioner Cox revealed that the review of unsolved sexual assault cases began in May 2022, focusing on criminal cases that posed the highest threat to public safety.
Forensic genetic genealogy has emerged as a crucial tool in such investigations.
CeCe Moore, the chief genetic genealogist with Parabon NanoLabs, a DNA tech lab that collaborates with law enforcement, describes the technique. It allows detectives to cast a wide net by analyzing DNA voluntarily submitted to a genetic genealogy database.
In public databases, cops legally search for distant relatives of an unknown suspect. This approach allows the creation of an extensive family tree. And allows authorities to bypass the limitations of law enforcement databases like CODIS, which require an exact match in most states.
