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Tag: Golden State Killer

How Atlanta Investigators Solved the Cold Case Murder of 14-Year-Old Nacole Smith
How Atlanta Investigators Solved the Cold Case Murder of 14-Year-Old Nacole Smith

In 2022, the cold case murder of a Black teenage girl in Atlanta, Nacole Smith, and the sexual assault of another Black teen, were solved using forensic genetic genealogy. The assailant was the same man in both cases: Kevin Arnold.
A Celebrated DNA Sleuth Looks to Vanquish the Demons Closer to Home
A Celebrated DNA Sleuth Looks to Vanquish the Demons Closer to Home

We speak with Paul Holes, a forensic scientist who helped catch the Golden State Killer, about the havoc wreaked on the life of a homicide investigator.
The Death of Sandra Denise Thomas: A Small Town Tries to Crack a Cold Case
The Death of Sandra Denise Thomas: A Small Town Tries to Crack a Cold Case

The body of the Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina woman was found in a ditch with injuries consistent with being thrown or dragged from a moving vehicle.
The Rise and Fall of American Serial Killers
The Rise and Fall of American Serial Killers

Investigative historian Peter Vronsky explains how Edmund Kemper, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and others reached celebrity status during the 'Golden Age' of American serial killing.
How Survivors of the Golden State Killer Became Fast Friends
How Survivors of the Golden State Killer Became Fast Friends

After the Golden State Killer's arrest in 2018, dozens of rape victims learned their assaults weren't isolated incidents but the work of a serial killer. Read how many survivors bonded through mutual trauma.
Surviving a Serial Killer—and What Comes Afterward
Surviving a Serial Killer—and What Comes Afterward

It's an exceedingly rare group of people who escape the clutches of a serial killer—only to find their lives forever changed by the ordeal. Read what happened afterward to five survivors.
Why 2020 Will Be a Groundbreaking Year for Forensic Genealogy and Solving Cold Cases
Why 2020 Will Be a Groundbreaking Year for Forensic Genealogy and Solving Cold Cases

Genealogical DNA databases are helping solve more cold cases. We explore why that could be problematic.
The 10 Biggest Crime Stories of the 2010s
The 10 Biggest Crime Stories of the 2010s

There's been no shortage of violent crime this decade, either. As the 2010s come to a close, A&E True Crime looks back at the past 10 years—at some of the crime stories that drew the most public attention, and at the criminals the public will long remember.
What Patton Oswalt Felt When He First Saw the Golden State Killer Suspect, Whom His Wife Helped Catch
What Patton Oswalt Felt When He First Saw the Golden State Killer Suspect, Whom His Wife Helped Catch

The actor talks about his late wife Michelle McNamara's role in helping identify the Golden State Killer suspect.
Why Aren't Police Solving More Murders With Genealogy Websites?
Why Aren't Police Solving More Murders With Genealogy Websites?

Ever since 'Golden State Killer' suspect Joseph DeAngelo was arrested in April 2018 after being tracked down with the help of an online DNA database typically used for tracking genealogy, crime-solving via genetic genealogy has increased. Last year, investigators made more than 20 arrests in cold cases. But given that there are thousands of murders in America every year, of which 40 percent go unsolved, why aren't DNA databases being used to solve even more crimes?

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