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The tech helping crack decades-old cold cases

The tech helping crack decades-old cold cases

Summary

Investigators solved a 30-year-old murder case using advanced DNA technology and artificial intelligence (AI). A company called Othram used DNA from relatives in consumer databases to identify the killer, and AI helped police organize thousands of pages of case information to focus their efforts.

Key Facts

  • Randy Gail Sperino was murdered in 1993, and her killer was unknown for decades.
  • Traditional DNA tests could not find a match in law enforcement databases.
  • Detectives sent DNA evidence to Othram, a company specializing in investigative genetic genealogy.
  • This technique uses DNA from distant relatives in commercial ancestry databases to help identify suspects.
  • The DNA clues led police to Albert "Buddy" Zigler, who confessed and was charged in 2024.
  • AI software called Centerline AI helped analyze over 2,000 pages of case files to find important evidence.
  • Investigative genetic genealogy combines DNA data with public records to build family trees.
  • This approach is seen as a new tool to solve cold cases and identify unidentified remains.
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