Victims of the Golden State Killer.Photo: (CW) COURTESY; COURTESY DEBBI DOMINGO; COURTESY(2); COURTESY SMITH FAMILY; COURTESY DEBRA DEE; COURTESY (2); COURTESY KENNETH SMITH
01of 13Capturing The Golden State KillerJoseph James DeAngelo.Randy Pench/Sacramento Bee/Tribune News Service via GettyA crime spree terrorized Californians in the 1970s and ’80s and for decades, dozens of murders and rapes went unsolved. But in 2018, former police officerJoseph DeAngelo, known as the Golden State Killer, was finally captured.DeAngelo was caught after law enforcement compared the murderer’s DNA — found at one of the crime scenes — to the genetic profiles publicly available on a genealogical website. The crime scene DNA sample matched one of DeAngelo’s relatives, and authorities eventually zeroed in on him.DeAngelo was accused of 13murders and 50 rapes. In 2020,he pleaded guiltyto the murders and 13 counts of kidnapping and will spend the rest of his life behind bars. He is also believed to be responsible for more than 100 residential burglaries from April 1974 to December 1975. This case gained international publicity and showed investigators and the world that DNA was the newest and most advanced way to catch a killer.
01of 13
Capturing The Golden State Killer
Joseph James DeAngelo.Randy Pench/Sacramento Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty
A crime spree terrorized Californians in the 1970s and ’80s and for decades, dozens of murders and rapes went unsolved. But in 2018, former police officerJoseph DeAngelo, known as the Golden State Killer, was finally captured.
DeAngelo was caught after law enforcement compared the murderer’s DNA — found at one of the crime scenes — to the genetic profiles publicly available on a genealogical website. The crime scene DNA sample matched one of DeAngelo’s relatives, and authorities eventually zeroed in on him.
DeAngelo was accused of 13murders and 50 rapes. In 2020,he pleaded guiltyto the murders and 13 counts of kidnapping and will spend the rest of his life behind bars. He is also believed to be responsible for more than 100 residential burglaries from April 1974 to December 1975. This case gained international publicity and showed investigators and the world that DNA was the newest and most advanced way to catch a killer.
02of 13The Grim Sleeper’s Capture and DeathAP Pool/Nick Ut,PoolLonnie Franklin Jr. was a serial killer who stalked L.A. for more than 20 years, killing young vulnerable Black women.His killing spree lasted from 1984 to 2007, but the apparent gap in his violent slayings — from the late 1980s to the early 2000s — gave himhis nickname: The Grim Sleeper.Franklin was finally caught in 2010 through familial DNA testing after his son, Christopher, was arrested in the summer of 2009 and had to submit a DNA swab.In 2016, Franklin wasconvicted of murdering 10 women, but prosecutors believe he has at least six additional victims. After beingsentenced to the death penalty,Franklin died in his prison cellat the age of 67 in San Quentin Prison on March 28, 2020.(PEOPLE senior writerChristine Pelisek, who broke the story of the Grim Sleeper, chronicled the case in her 2017 book,The Grim Sleeper: The Lost Women of South Central.)
02of 13
The Grim Sleeper’s Capture and Death
AP Pool/Nick Ut,Pool
Lonnie Franklin Jr. was a serial killer who stalked L.A. for more than 20 years, killing young vulnerable Black women.
His killing spree lasted from 1984 to 2007, but the apparent gap in his violent slayings — from the late 1980s to the early 2000s — gave himhis nickname: The Grim Sleeper.
Franklin was finally caught in 2010 through familial DNA testing after his son, Christopher, was arrested in the summer of 2009 and had to submit a DNA swab.
In 2016, Franklin wasconvicted of murdering 10 women, but prosecutors believe he has at least six additional victims. After beingsentenced to the death penalty,Franklin died in his prison cellat the age of 67 in San Quentin Prison on March 28, 2020.
(PEOPLE senior writerChristine Pelisek, who broke the story of the Grim Sleeper, chronicled the case in her 2017 book,The Grim Sleeper: The Lost Women of South Central.)
03of 131987 Murders of Jay Cook and Tanya Van CuylenborgTanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook.Snohomish County Sheriff’s officeIn 2015,Chelsea Rustadentered a contest and won a DNA “spit kit” and uploaded her profile. She had no idea that doing so would help solve a double murder that had gone cold. In 2018, two officers at the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office were investigating the 1987 murders of Jay Cook, 20, and Tanya Van Cuylenborg, 18, who were killed while visiting Seattle from Canada.Because of Rustad’s submitted DNA, authorities connected her cousin, William Earl Talbott II, now 59, to the murders. Talbott was tried and convicted of the murders in 2019 — making him the first person to be convicted as a result of genealogy research.“Police told me that without my DNA, he would not have been arrested,” Rustad previously told PEOPLE. “There would have been no trial. That family would have never had answers.”
03of 13
1987 Murders of Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg
Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook.Snohomish County Sheriff’s office
In 2015,Chelsea Rustadentered a contest and won a DNA “spit kit” and uploaded her profile. She had no idea that doing so would help solve a double murder that had gone cold. In 2018, two officers at the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office were investigating the 1987 murders of Jay Cook, 20, and Tanya Van Cuylenborg, 18, who were killed while visiting Seattle from Canada.
Because of Rustad’s submitted DNA, authorities connected her cousin, William Earl Talbott II, now 59, to the murders. Talbott was tried and convicted of the murders in 2019 — making him the first person to be convicted as a result of genealogy research.
“Police told me that without my DNA, he would not have been arrested,” Rustad previously told PEOPLE. “There would have been no trial. That family would have never had answers.”
04of 131964 Murder of 9-Year-Old Marise ChiverellaPennsylvania State PoliceAfter 60 years had passed, it was unclear if the March 1964 murder of9-year-old Marise Chiverellain Pennsylvania would ever be solved. But now, finally, police have identified her killer. With help from genealogist Eric Schubert, authorities identified James Paul Forte, who died in 1980, as the killer through DNA and genealogy tracking.
04of 13
1964 Murder of 9-Year-Old Marise Chiverella
Pennsylvania State Police
After 60 years had passed, it was unclear if the March 1964 murder of9-year-old Marise Chiverellain Pennsylvania would ever be solved. But now, finally, police have identified her killer. With help from genealogist Eric Schubert, authorities identified James Paul Forte, who died in 1980, as the killer through DNA and genealogy tracking.
05of 131983 Sexual Assaults and Murders of Susan Tice and Erin GilmourJoseph George Sutherland.Toronto Police ServiceIn Nov. 2022, Toronto Police announced a break in two cold-case homicides committed nearly 40 years ago.Joseph George Sutherland,61, was arrested and charged in connection with the1983 killings of Susan Tice, 45, and Erin Gilmour, 22. Both women had been sexually assaulted and stabbed multiple times. Tice’s body was found in August 1983 and Gilmour’s body was found in December of that same year. The two women did not know each other.Trace DNA was found at both scenes and in 2000, authorities linked the two unsolved murders to each other. Eventually, genetic genealogy was used to discover relatives of the suspect, which eventually led to Sutherland. Sutherland has not yet entered a plea to the charges.
05of 13
1983 Sexual Assaults and Murders of Susan Tice and Erin Gilmour
Joseph George Sutherland.Toronto Police Service
In Nov. 2022, Toronto Police announced a break in two cold-case homicides committed nearly 40 years ago.Joseph George Sutherland,61, was arrested and charged in connection with the1983 killings of Susan Tice, 45, and Erin Gilmour, 22. Both women had been sexually assaulted and stabbed multiple times. Tice’s body was found in August 1983 and Gilmour’s body was found in December of that same year. The two women did not know each other.
Trace DNA was found at both scenes and in 2000, authorities linked the two unsolved murders to each other. Eventually, genetic genealogy was used to discover relatives of the suspect, which eventually led to Sutherland. Sutherland has not yet entered a plea to the charges.
06of 13
1988 Sexual Assault and Murder of Betty Rolf
Betty Rolf and Gene Meyer.Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office
According toonline court records, Meyer has not yet entered a plea and is currently being held on a $2 million bond in Wisconsin. His preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 28.
07of 131993 Murder of Jeanie Ann ChildsJeanie Ann Childs.A 26-year-old cold-case was cracked thanks to a dirty napkin cast aside at a hockey game in 2019.In 1993,35-year-old Jeanie Ann Childs, was stabbed to death in her Minneapolis apartment, and for more than two decades, the case remained cold. But after the capture of the Golden State Killer, authorities decided to try the same method that led to his arrest.Using DNA collected from Childs' murder scene, Minneapolis authorities entered the information into genealogy websites. The results pointed investigators toward two possible suspects, including Jerry Westrom who lived in Minneapolis at the time of Childs' murder.Officers began to trail Westrom to collect a DNA sample without his knowledge. At a hockey game, they observed him order food from a concession stand, then wipe his mouth with a napkin that he later discarded.The DNA was a match, and in 2022, Westrom was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
07of 13
1993 Murder of Jeanie Ann Childs
Jeanie Ann Childs.
A 26-year-old cold-case was cracked thanks to a dirty napkin cast aside at a hockey game in 2019.
In 1993,35-year-old Jeanie Ann Childs, was stabbed to death in her Minneapolis apartment, and for more than two decades, the case remained cold. But after the capture of the Golden State Killer, authorities decided to try the same method that led to his arrest.
Using DNA collected from Childs' murder scene, Minneapolis authorities entered the information into genealogy websites. The results pointed investigators toward two possible suspects, including Jerry Westrom who lived in Minneapolis at the time of Childs' murder.
Officers began to trail Westrom to collect a DNA sample without his knowledge. At a hockey game, they observed him order food from a concession stand, then wipe his mouth with a napkin that he later discarded.
The DNA was a match, and in 2022, Westrom was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
08of 13
2006 Murder of Francisca Perea-Dominguez
Francisca Perea-Dominguez; Salvador Hernandez-Morales.Aurora Police (2)
09of 13
1995 Murder of Mary Catherine Edwards
Mary Catherine Edwards.Texas Rangers
Jan. 13, 1995 was the last time beloved teacherMary Catherine Edwardswas seen alive. The following day, her parents arrived at her Beaumont, Texas, home to check on her and found a horrifying scene. Edwards was found drowned in her bathroom with her hands handcuffed behind her back. She had been killed and sexually assaulted.
For more than 25 years, the case remained cold until DNA cracked it wide open. Her former classmate Clayton Bernard Foreman was charged with murder in 2021 after investigators used genetic genealogy to allege he is linked to the crime.
10of 13
2001 Murder of Rose Marie Moniz
Rose Marie Moniz.Bristol County DA
It took 20 years for authorities to nab a suspect in the murder of Rose Marie Moniz. The 41-year-old was found beaten to death in her home in New Bedford, Mass., in March 2001. The murder weapons were a fireplace poker, a cast-iron fireplace kettle and a conch shell.
In Dec. 2021,DNA found inside the conch shelllinked Moniz’s half-brother David Reed — who was a pallbearer at Moniz’s funeral — to the slaying, authorities said.
11of 13
Murders of Shannon Rose Lloyd and Renee Cuevas
Shannon Rose Lloyd and Renee Cuevas.Garden Grove Police Department/Facebook
In 1986, 23-year-old Shannon Rose Lloyd was sexually assaulted and strangled to death in her Garden Grove, Calif., home. For more than three decades, a killer was never identified. In 1989, 27-year-old Renee Cuevas' body was found on a road near Irvine. Although little is known about Cuevas' murder, in 2003, authorities were able to link her case with Lloyd’s and learned the two young women had the same killer. After advancements in DNA, the Orange County District Attorney’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy team identified Reuben J. Smith as a possible suspect in 2021,NBC Los Angelesreports.
12of 131998 Murder of Jennifer BrinkmanAfter more than 20 years, a suspect was apprehended in connection with the 1998 death of19-year-old Jennifer Brinkmanbecause of advanced DNA technology and genetic genealogy.Jeffrey Paul Premo, 52, was arrested in Dec. 2022 after investigators say they matched his DNA to an ax that was used in the murder and found at the crime scene in 1998. Premo is charged with one count of first-degree murder.Premo was booked into the Snohomish County Jail. It is unclear at this time if he has entered a plea. Prosecuting Attorney Jason Cummings did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
12of 13
1998 Murder of Jennifer Brinkman
After more than 20 years, a suspect was apprehended in connection with the 1998 death of19-year-old Jennifer Brinkmanbecause of advanced DNA technology and genetic genealogy.
Jeffrey Paul Premo, 52, was arrested in Dec. 2022 after investigators say they matched his DNA to an ax that was used in the murder and found at the crime scene in 1998. Premo is charged with one count of first-degree murder.
Premo was booked into the Snohomish County Jail. It is unclear at this time if he has entered a plea. Prosecuting Attorney Jason Cummings did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
13of 131980 Rape and Murder of Helene PruszynskiHelene Pruszynski.Helene Pruszynski was 21 years old when she was kidnapped while walking home, brutally raped and murdered in 1980.For decades, her family searched for answers, and finally, in 2019, they received them. Truck driver James Clanton was arrested and charged after investigators used genetic genealogy technology on DNA evidence found on Pruszynski’s body and clothing to link Clanton to the crime. He pleaded guilty to rape and murder, and in July 2020, he was sentenced to life in prison.
13of 13
1980 Rape and Murder of Helene Pruszynski
Helene Pruszynski.
Helene Pruszynski was 21 years old when she was kidnapped while walking home, brutally raped and murdered in 1980.
For decades, her family searched for answers, and finally, in 2019, they received them. Truck driver James Clanton was arrested and charged after investigators used genetic genealogy technology on DNA evidence found on Pruszynski’s body and clothing to link Clanton to the crime. He pleaded guilty to rape and murder, and in July 2020, he was sentenced to life in prison.
source: people.com
