WAVE OF THE FUTURE CRIME DETECTION IS HERE! LAPD'S "GRIM SLEEPER" ARREST ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH USE OF 21ST CENTURY DNA TOOLS
DOJ CRIME LAB CRIMINALISTS LINKED SON’S DNA TO FATHER USING STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY
Criminalists with the state Justice Department who matched the suspect’s DNA to his son are, from left, Linton VonBeroldingen, Steven Myers, Jim Wiegand, Gary Sims, Matt Piucci, Ken Konzak and Bureau Chief Jill Spriggs at the DNA lab in Richmond. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
LAPD CRIME LAB DIRECTOR, GREG MATHESON PRAISES DOJ CRIMINALISTS:
(Excerpt from L.A. Times):
“They made sure there was no ‘t’ that wasn’t crossed and no ‘i’ that wasn’t dotted,” said LAPD laboratory director Greg Matheson, who attended the meeting. “But we were obviously excited about this being their first hit, and it was a very good one.”
The familial search cost the state $40,000, with much of the work done on overtime, Spriggs said. She said she and other scientists never doubted they could nab a criminal suspect this way, and that statistically they were due for a breakthrough.
SEE FULL ARTICLE below:
LA Times article, “In Grim Sleeper case, a new tack in DNA searching.”
Speaking as a veteran LAPD homicide detective, I am extremely proud of how well the LAPD and DOJ “teamed up” to accomplish the arrest of “Grim Sleeper” suspect, Lonnie David Franklin Jr.
It was professional and perfectly coordinated. I believe the “Grim Sleeper” investigation will prove to be the “Poster-Boy” for the use of familial DNA searches and that it will bring a sea-change across the nation eventually seeing the procedure adopted by all state and federal law enforcement.
Cetainly, legitimate rights to privacy issues will be raised and must be strictly adhered to and respected. But, the immense potential for this procedure becoming a major crime-fighting tool is UNLIMITED. If used correctly, familial DNA testing can and will take a whole bunch of bad guys off the streets.
Los Angeles Times Chart
USING RELATIVE’S DNA TO FIND A SUSPECT
I think this is an exciting breakthrough for law enforcement. With budget cutbacks and more on the way, however, I don’t see other jurisdictions buying into this new tool any time soon. It’s a shame, really, because I think it could, as has been shown, bring about justice for not only ongoing or new murder cases, but cold cases and some cases so cold they are frozen solid. The unfreezing of same, will take more than forensics, tools and law enforcement…