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DNA links 1991 killing to Colonial-era family

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
This is amazing. :wow: :wow:

DNA links 1991 killing to Colonial-era family

(CNN) -- DNA may help Seattle-area sheriff's deputies find a suspect in a 20-year-old killing after a comparison with genealogy records connected a crime-scene sample to a 17th-century Massachusetts family.

The DNA sample was taken in the death of 16-year-old Sarah Yarborough, who was killed on her high school campus in Federal Way, Washington, in December 1991. The King County Sheriff's Office has circulated two composite sketches of a possible suspect -- a man in his 20s at the time with shoulder-length blonde or light brown hair -- but had been unable to put a name to the sketch.

In December, though, the department sent the DNA profile to California-based forensic consultant Colleen Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick compared the profile to others in genealogy databases and found the closest match was to the family of Robert Fuller, who settled in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1630 and had relatives who came over before him on the Mayflower.

While the descendents of Robert Fuller are likely to number in the thousands after nearly 400 years, geography and physical characteristics can help detectives narrow their search, Fitzpatrick said. In fact, Fitzpatrick said, since the DNA trace follows male descendants, there was "a high degree of probability" that the man police are looking is named Fuller.

"The most important thing is having a last name," Fitzpatrick told CNN. "People get excited about having a Mayflower connection, but the most important thing is having a probable last name for this guy."

continued: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/09/justice/washington-cold-case/index.html?iref=obnetwork
 

AAUTOFAB1

Bronze Member
SUPER Site Supporter
And if they can actually find a descendant living near by would they have the ability/constitutionally to force them to take a DNA test? seems a little far of a stretch to locate a criminal by family DNA , but i do know a lot of people who have submitted DNA to trace back their family history.....who has access to this information and how it is used could be dangerous.
 

muleman

Gone But Not Forgotten
GOLD Site Supporter
That is pretty bizarre they can tie it to a particular family. Gives a new meaning to the Fuller brush man stories when we were kids.
 

fogtender

Now a Published Author
Site Supporter
I guess this is a new twist on the "Six degrees of separation", we are all suspects! :smile:

But scary in part from the government and brings hope to catching the girls killer!
 
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