Forensic genetic genealogy: A profile of cases solved

Dowdeswell, Tracey

doi:10.1016/j.fsigen.2022.102679

Cited by 32 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…In a study by Dowdeswell [ 25 ], it was reported a total of 439 cases had been resolved where FGG had provided an investigative lead, prior to 31 December 2020. The author reached this total case number by collecting all publicly available information on cases where FGG had been cited as being used in the case, e.g., internet searches, discussion boards, press releases, publications, and published court records.…”

Section: Forensic Genetic Genealogy In Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

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Bridging Disciplines to Form a New One: The Emergence of Forensic Genetic Genealogy

Glynn

2022

Genes

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Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) has fast become a popular tool in criminal investigations since it first emerged in 2018. FGG is a novel investigatory tool that has been applied to hundreds of unresolved cold cases in the United States to generate investigative leads and identify unknown individuals. Consumer DNA testing and the public’s increased curiosity about their own DNA and genetic ancestry, have greatly contributed to the availability of human genetic data. Genetic genealogy has been a field of study/interest for many years as both amateur and professional genetic genealogists use consumer DNA data to explore genetic connections in family trees. FGG encompasses this knowledge by applying advanced sequencing technologies to forensic DNA evidence samples and by performing genetic genealogy methods and genealogical research, to produce possible identities of unknown perpetrators of violent crimes and unidentified human remains. This combination of forensic genetics, genetic genealogy, and genealogical research has formed a new subdiscipline within the forensic sciences. This paper will summarize the individual disciplines that led to the emergence of FGG, its practice in forensic investigations, and current/future considerations for its use.

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Section: Forensic Genetic Genealogy In Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The results highlighted that the majority of FGG cases involved serial/recidivist offenders and sexual violence. Victims are predominantly female and from low-income, vulnerable social groups, while perpetrators are predominantly male, young, and of European ancestry [ 25 ].…”

Section: Forensic Genetic Genealogy In Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging Disciplines to Form a New One: The Emergence of Forensic Genetic Genealogy

Glynn

2022

Genes

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“…The four main groups of DTC testing are FamilyTree DNA, 23andMe, Ancestry.com, and MyHeritage. Investigative genetic genealogy (IGG), also known as forensic genetic genealogy (FGG), is a new and promising tool for individual identification in murders, rapes, and missing person cases, and had already helped generate leads that solved cold cases around the globe ( Thomson et al, 2020 ; Tillmar et al, 2021 ; Dowdeswell, 2022 ). Technical and legal considerations must be examined carefully before the method adoption ( Scudder et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Forensic Genealogymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of cases that benefit from these IGG efforts are murders and /or sexual assaults. In this context, as for the beginning of the year 2022, 44% of the cases involving human remains investigations, where homicide is suspected, were cleared due to the identification of the decedent ( Dowdeswell, 2022 ).…”

Section: Forensic Genealogymentioning

confidence: 99%

Applications of massively parallel sequencing in forensic genetics

et al. 2022

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Massively parallel sequencing, also referred to as next-generation sequencing, has positively changed DNA analysis, allowing further advances in genetics. Its capability of dealing with low quantity/damaged samples makes it an interesting instrument for forensics. The main advantage of MPS is the possibility of analyzing simultaneously thousands of genetic markers, generating high-resolution data. Its detailed sequence information allowed the discovery of variations in core forensic short tandem repeat loci, as well as the identification of previous unknown polymorphisms. Furthermore, different types of markers can be sequenced in a single run, enabling the emergence of DIP-STRs, SNP-STR haplotypes, and microhaplotypes, which can be very useful in mixture deconvolution cases. In addition, the multiplex analysis of different single nucleotide polymorphisms can provide valuable information about identity, biogeographic ancestry, paternity, or phenotype. DNA methylation patterns, mitochondrial DNA, mRNA, and microRNA profiling can also be analyzed for different purposes, such as age inference, maternal lineage analysis, body-fluid identification, and monozygotic twin discrimination. MPS technology also empowers the study of metagenomics, which analyzes genetic material from a microbial community to obtain information about individual identification, post-mortem interval estimation, geolocation inference, and substrate analysis. This review aims to discuss the main applications of MPS in forensic genetics.

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“…& Carmi, 2018;Edge & Coop, 2019), potentially allowing most people to be identified by IGG. IGG's power has caused it to be quickly adopted, and it has produced suspects or identified remains in approximately 300 cases, some of them cold for decades(Dowdeswell, 2022). At the same time, current regulation(Ram, Murphy, & Suter, 2021) and scientific understanding of IGG is limited, and some of the upload-based databases used for IGG have been flagged for privacy concerns(Edge & Coop, 2020;Ney, Ceze, & Kohno, 2020).Speaking of universal databases, the genetic investigation in Gattaca raises a puzzle: If Vincent is unregistered, how do the detectives get his picture?…”

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confidence: 99%

GATTACA AS A LENS ON CONTEMPORARY GENETICS Marking 25 years into the film’s “not-too-distant” future

Ogbunugafor¹,

Edge²

2022

Preprint

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The 1997 film Gattaca has emerged as a canonical pop culture reference used to discuss modern contro-versies in genetics and bioethics. It appeared in theaters a few years prior to the announcement of the“completion” of the human genome (2000), as the science of human genetics was developing a renewedsense of its social implications. The story is set in a near-future world in which parents can, with tech-nological assistance, influence the genetic composition of their offspring on the basis of predicted lifeoutcomes. This moment—25 years after the film’s release—offers an opportunity to reflect on where so-ciety currently stands with respect to the ideas explored in Gattaca. Here, we review and discuss severalactive areas of genetic research—genetic prediction, embryo selection, forensic genetics, and others–thatinterface directly with scenes and concepts in the film. On its silver anniversary, we argue that Gattacaremains an important reflection of society’s expectations and fears with respect to the ways that geneticscience has manifested in the real world. In an accompanying appendix, we offer some thought questionsto guide group discussions inside and outside of the classroom.

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Forensic genetic genealogy: A profile of cases solved

Cited by 32 publications

References 24 publications

Bridging Disciplines to Form a New One: The Emergence of Forensic Genetic Genealogy

Bridging Disciplines to Form a New One: The Emergence of Forensic Genetic Genealogy

Applications of massively parallel sequencing in forensic genetics

GATTACA AS A LENS ON CONTEMPORARY GENETICS Marking 25 years into the film’s “not-too-distant” future

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