10 Cold Cases Finally Solved By Forensic Genealogy | Classified: 2018

A retired cop. A DJ. A nurse. A safety inspector at a university. All of them hiding in plain sight — until a strand of DNA from a discarded napkin, a coffee cup, and a chewing gum wrapper changed everything. In 2018, forensic genetic genealogy didn’t just solve one cold case. It cracked ten — some dating back to 1979. In this episode of The Predators’ Archive, we go inside all ten cases where investigators uploaded unidentified crime scene DNA to public genealogy databases, built family trees from distant cousin matches, and identified killers who had evaded justice for decades. From the Golden State Killer — Joseph James DeAngelo — to a suspect who died in 1999 and had to be identified through exhumed remains, this is the year forensic science rewrote the rulebook on cold case investigations. We break down the exact methodology: GEDmatch database searches, abandoned DNA collection, family tree construction, phenotyping composites, paternity-style confirmations, and the legal battles that followed — including the Iowa Supreme Court ruling that settled the constitutional question about discarded DNA once and for all. This isn’t just true crime. This is forensic history. ⚠️ Content note: This video covers homicide and sexual assault cases in a factual, non-graphic manner for documentary and awareness purposes. 📂 CASES COVERED IN THIS VIDEO: 1. Joseph James DeAngelo — The Golden State Killer — California 2. William Earl Talbott II — Washington State 3. John D. Miller — Indiana 4. Gary Charles Hartman — Washington State 5. Roy Charles Waller — Northern California 6. Benjamin Lee Holmes — Florida 7. Jerry Lynn Burns — Iowa 8. Raymond Charles Rowe — Pennsylvania 9. Luke Edward Fleming — Florida 10. Robert Eugene Brashers — South Carolina, Missouri & Tennessee ⏱ TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Case One ;Joseph James DeAngelo — The Golden State Killer— California 08:16 — Case Two; William Earl Talbott II 15:39 — Case Three; John D. Miller — Indiana 21:44 — Case Four; Gary Charles Hartman — Washington State 27:29 — Case Five; Roy Charles Waller — Northern California 33:30 — Case Six; Benjamin Lee Holmes — Florida 38:37 — Case Seven; Jerry Lynn Burns — Iowa 43:50 — Case Eight; Raymond Charles Rowe — Pennsylvania 48:46 — Case Nine; Luke Edward Fleming — Florida 53:55 — Case Ten; Robert Eugene Brashers — South Carolina, Missouri & Tennessee 58:32 — Closing 🔍 Did any of these cases surprise you? Which one do you think had the most shocking twist? Drop your answer in the comments — and if this file kept you watching share it with someone who thinks cold cases never get solved. 📁 WATCH THE FULL CLASSIFIED: The SCIENCE OF JUSTICE [The Science Of Justice] 🔔 New files every Sunday. Subscribe so you never miss a case. 📌 TIP LINES — If you have information on any unsolved case contact: 🔹 FBI Cold Case Tips — tips.fbi.gov | 1-800-CALL-FBI 🔹 NCMEC General Tip Line — 1-800-843-5678 | missingkids.org 🔹 Crime Stoppers USA — 1-800-222-8477 🔹 GEDmatch Case Tips — gedmatch.com 🔹 Parabon NanoLabs — parabon-nanolabs.com/dna-evidence #TrueCrime #ForensicGenealogy #ColdCase #GoldenStateKiller #DNAEvidence #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrimeCommunity #CrimeDocumentary #ForensicScience #GEDmatch #CaseFiles #ColdCaseSolved #TrueCrimeStories #CriminalJustice #JusticeForVictims