DNASolves® Blog

Sharing stories of formerly "unsolvable" cold cases, now closed with the help of cutting-edge DNA technology and the participation of the crowd.

Grace Doe

Investigators were told she would be identified only by the "Grace of God". Decades later, we helped identify Shawna, but questions remain.

Estimating Human Ancestry

Inferring the historical origins of unknown persons can provide valuable clues to their identity.

Christy Crystal Creek

Janet Lee Lucas, a 23-year-old woman from Spokane, Washington, was likely a victim of suspected serial killer Wayne Nance. It took 36 years to identify her.

Help a family heal for the holidays

Help reunite the missing and unidentified with their families. Secure justice for those affect by violent crime.

Angel of the Meadow

In 2010, skeletal remains of a murdered (and likely assaulted) woman were found in Manchester, UK. Will the UK permit advanced DNA testing to identify her?

Unknown Girl Drowned

The case of Jolaine Hemmy, who died in 1966, is the oldest the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has ever resolved.

Face to Face: IHIA 2021

Othram is in DC for the 27th annual International Homicide Investigators Association conference, to showcase technology for solving "unsolvable" crimes.

Lake Stickney John Doe

Last seen in 1987, Rodney Johnson was a homicide victim, identified decades later from only twenty cell's worth of DNA.

Face to Face: CrimeCon 2021

Othram is headed to Austin for the 5th annual CrimeCon conference, to tell tales of previously "unsolvable" cold cases and seek help from the crowd.

Beth Doe

Evelyn Colon was brutally murdered towards the end of her pregnancy in 1976. Her identification after 45 years has led investigators to a suspect in her death.

Mostly Harmless

In 2017, Vance Rodriguez left for the Appalachian Trail, died on the hike, and it took the crowd to return him home. It's also the first case we ever crowdfunded.

Silent Mass Disaster No More

We need efficient and cost-effective ways to match families of missing persons to the unidentified. Time is not on our side.

Siobhan McGuinness

A young child is sexually assaulted and murdered in 1974. Decades later, local and federal investigators team up to identify the predator responsible.

Vancleave Jane Doe

Kimberly Ann Funk vanished in 1990 and her body was found the following year, by the Mississippi Ward Bayou. Tragically, she wasn’t identified until 2021.

The Times They Are a-Changin'

Traditional forensic methods are simply not enough to solve the 250,000+ unsolved cases in this country. It's time to change how we do things.

Stephanie Isaacson

A high school girl is sexually assaulted and murdered in 1989. In 2021, her assailant was identified using the least amount DNA ever used in forensic genetic genealogy.

Publicker Girl

Lisa Todd, a pregnant teen from Philly, vanished in 1985 and her family has waited for decades to get answers.