In the time it takes to process thousands of tips and chase down leads, serial offenders can strike again.
That’s why forensic expert David Mittelman is arguing the rapid DNA breakthroughs in the Idaho murders and Rachel Morin cases have revealed a new tool for crimefighters — investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) research has become so fast and cheap that it could be the first thing investigators reach for, not their finishing touch.
“You should be reading the DNA the same way you’re checking the video cameras,” the Othram forensics lab founder told Fox News Digital. “Because the very first question you have is, who is at the scene? So check the cameras nearby, check the DNA, and then start your investigation.”
The current trend in most active cases is for investigators to use DNA as a “confirmatory tool,” he said — a final step to make sure police have the right suspect. DNA and IGG research is more widely used in cold cases, he said. And that’s something he hopes will change.
“So DNA goes from being the last step in the process as a confirmatory tool to the first step,” Mittelman said. “It’s like checking the video feed, except that you’re checking the DNA feed.”
In the Idaho student murders and the Maryland slaying of mom of five Rachel Morin, police with few leads turned to Othram for help conducting the IGG, which led them to now-convicted killers Bryan Kohberger and Victor Martinez-Hernandez.
Traditional DNA testing compares a suspect’s sample to a law enforcement database in search of a match, but not all criminals can be identified in this manner, especially if it’s their first offense. IGG testing involves a blend of forensic science and the same methods used to trace a person’s ancestry in order to track down an unknown suspect.
“When IGG becomes as common as fingerprint and digital forensics, it will ensure that other families don’t have to endure the same pain as the Morins,” said Randolph Rice, a Baltimore-area attorney who represented Morin’s family. “IGG should not be viewed as a last resort or a luxury; it should be a standard, front-line investigative tool.”
Cases that benefit from IGG have a readily available DNA sample from the perpetrator and often involve murder or sexual assault, Mittelman said, making them among the most heinous crimes. Under his proposal, he said, they’d be cheaper, faster and easier to solve.
“DNA testing identified him [Kohberger], in a month or in weeks, and the end-to-end cost for that DNA testing was under $10,000,” Mittelman said. “So you can’t even pay the detective for a month for the amount of money it costs to solve that case.”
In the Morin case, Martinez-Hernandez was already an international fugitive and suspected killer connected to another sex assault in Los Angeles.
“When he committed that crime in Los Angeles, they should have immediately put the DNA CODIS, like they did, saw no match, and they should have used this technique and immediately found him,” Mittelman said. “And then Rachel Morin would still be alive. That’s exactly my point.”
