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Genealogy Websites Scare Me, But This is Good

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Investigators in Sacramento have arrested Joseph James DeAngelo for rape, but they only found him based on records from a genealogical website.

10 Internet Security Myths that Small Businesses Should Be Aware OfThe effort wasn’t easy, but this guy is now off the streets. The process started with taking a look at DNA that was collected from the crime scene, which happened many years ago. Investigators didn’t have a match. However, recently, they started comparing DNA with genetic profiles that have been collected from ancestry sties. These are companies that collect DNA from people to tell them more about their family backgrounds.

Though DeAngelo’s DNA was not found, investigators were able to match the DNA of his family members with the DNA found at the crime scene. Investigators looked closer and noticed that DeAngelo not only lived in the area where the rape occurred, but also was in the same age range as the suspect. The investigators began watching DeAngelo and picked up a piece of trash that he discarded. They tested it in the lab, and the DNA on it was a perfect match to the DNA at the crime scene.

Once investigators realized they had a match, they knew that they had to spring into action. They were able to quickly make an arrest. DeAngelo was booked into jail and charged with two murders. He is also expected to face an additional 12 homicide charges, which occurred from 1974 to 1986. Because the crimes occurred in several counties, it is likely that county prosecutors will come together as one prosecution team to put DeAngelo on trial. It is also likely that the trial would not be held in Sacramento because the majority of the crimes occurred in Southern California. There is also the question as to if the prosecution team will charge DeAngelo with rape, as the statute of limitations has expired. There is no statute of limitations for murder in the state of California.

Some prosecutors, however, are looking to the FBI to help put DeAngelo behind bars for the alleged rapes, too, including Jeff Reisig from Yolo Country, and the DA from Contra Costa County. They believe that DeAngelo is the so-called East Area Rapist, who has been connected to 12 murders, 51 rapes, and hundreds of burglaries.

There are certainly some issues with these DNA tests, but that can be for another time. For now, it’s pretty important to know that there is some good that can come out of it, especially if it means getting criminals off the street.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud. See him knock’em dead in this Security Awareness Training video.

DNA Tech is Catching Bad Guys and its Great and Scary

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In 1996, a 12-year-old Washington state girl was raped and murdered. However, it wasn’t until June 2018, that an arrest was made in the case. How did this happen? DNA technology.

The man arrested is Gary Hartman, and he is accused of killing and raping 12-year old Michella Welch. Donald Ramsdell, the Tacoma Police Chief, has said that computer modeling, police techniques, and advances in DNA identification has led his team to arresting Hartman on June 20th.

This case goes all the way back to March 26th, 1986. Welch and her sisters were in Tacoma’s Puget Park. She left her sisters there and went home to make lunch. About three hours later, Michella’s sisters noticed that her bike and lunch were at the park, but she was nowhere to be found. Just before 11pm that night, the body of Michella was found. DNA was recovered, but police were unable to solve the case…until now.

Before the arrest of Gary Hartman was made, police tried a number of methods to solve this case. For instance, in 2006, they were able to create a DNA profile of the person whose DNA was found at the crime scene. However, they were unable to match that DNA with what was in their database. It wasn’t until 12 years after that, in 2018, that detectives from the Tacoma Police department was able to work with genetic genealogists and track the DNA to family members of the, at the time, unknown suspect. The researchers then used that information, along with public records, to create a family tree. There were two members of the family, brothers, who lived in Tacoma in 1986. Both immediately became possible suspects.

On June 4, detectives began monitoring Gary Hartman. Nothing of note happened that day, but the next day, June 5, Hartman went to breakfast with a co-worker. Detectives took the napkin that Hartman used at the restaurant and sent it in for DNA testing. The DNA that was on the napkin was the same DNA found at the rape and murder scene of Michella Welch. He was arrested for the crime on June 20 after a traffic stop.

Michella’s mother is thrilled by the arrest, and Michella’s younger sister, Nicole, who was only 9-years old in 1986, described her sister like a “second mother,” and said that Hartman cut her sister’s “precious life” short.

This is all wonderful. And right out of a sci-fi movie. OK, so you have nothing to hide right? I have nothing to hide either. But I’m never throwing a napkin away again!

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud. See him knock’em dead in this Security Awareness Training video.