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Beyond the Golden State Killer: Advanced Forensic Science to Identify the Guilty & Exonerate the Innocent

Presented by Anne Marie Schubert

(8,099 Ratings)

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Course Description

Length: 1h 1min Published: 6/17/2025

This presentation will discuss the innovative use of forensic genetic genealogy to solve the Golden State Killer case. The course will cover the GSK case, the science used to solve it, what has occurred since the arrest of Joseph DeAngelo to identify the guilty and exonerate the innocent. Finally, it will discuss best practices in using this extraordinary technique. The objectives of this course are to understand the role of forensic investigative genetic genealogy in identifying the guilty and exonerating the innocent as well as the use of best practices to appropriately balance public safety with privacy.

Learning Objectives

* Understand the role of forensic investigative genetic genealogy in identifying the guilty

* Explore how genealogy evidence can be used in exonerating the innocent

* Learn the use of best practices to appropriately balance public safety with privacy

Read the course transcript.

Speaker Q&A

Question

Has any court ruled on the admissibility of the family background evidence? Granted, you'll have the STR test by the time of the trial, but can you use the family background for any other purpose or is that evidence inadmissible?

- ChristopherP

Answer

There are several trial court opinions regarding the use of genealogy. In Sacramento, the People v Roy Waller resulted in a thorough trial court opinion. Additionally, there are at least two decisions where NO STR was available and only SNP testing was done. The courts ruled that was admissible. These decisions occurred in the NY Long Island Serial Killer case and the Nampa Idaho murder case involving a child. I also believe the Idaho trial court in Kohberger ruled that the evidence was admissible.

- Anne Marie Schubert