In Hunt For Golden State Killer, Investigators Uploaded His DNA To Genealogy Site
After failing to find a match within criminal databases, law enforcement uploaded the killer's DNA profile to a no-frills website used to trace ancestry. The tactic has spurred privacy concerns.
As they sought a breakthrough in the cold case of the man known as the Golden State Killer and the East Area Rapist, law enforcement officers pursued new avenues to find a DNA match. The man's last known crime was in 1986, when forensic use of DNA technology was just beginning.
On Tuesday, authorities arrested Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, a onetime cop.
His methodical tactics had suggested the killer might have law enforcement experience, a former deputy told The Associated Press. But in committing his terrifying crime spree, he left behind a lot of genetic material.
"He left his DNA all over the place," longtime Contra Costa County Bay Area ABC affiliate KGO. Holes retired in March, after working the case for years.
