Posted on 05/18/2018 1:25:02 PM PDT by Red Badger
Full Title:
A Double Murder From 1987 Was Just Solved Thanks To The Genealogy Website Used For The Golden State Killer
Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg Snohomish County Sheriff
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Forensic genealogy has cracked a second major case, less than a month after the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, alleged to be the Golden State Killer.
At 11 a.m. PDT in Washington state, the Snohomish County Sheriff announced the arrest of a 55-year-old man from the Seattle area for the 1987 double murder of a young Canadian couple, Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg. He is William Earl Talbott II, a local truck driver.
On Nov. 18, 1987, Cook, 20, and Van Cuylenborg, 18, drove from Saanich, British Columbia, to the Seattle area in a van owned by Cook’s father. It was supposed to be an overnight trip, and when they didn’t return, they were reported missing.
Then, on Nov. 24, Van Cuylenborg’s body was found in a ditch in rural Skagit County, Washington. She had been raped and shot. Cook’s body was found two days later more than 50 miles away, covered with a blue blanket. He had been strangled and beaten.
On Thursday, BuzzFeed News reported that a company called Parabon NanoLabs had loaded DNA data from about 100 crime scenes into a public genealogy database called GEDmatch — finding matches with people estimated to be a suspect’s third cousins or even closer in about 20 cases.
From that search, a DNA sample from Van Cuylenborg’s murder scene gave especially promising leads. “The significant matches were at about the second cousin level,” CeCe Moore, the genealogist working with Parabon, told reporters at a press conference to announce Talbott’s arrest.
This meant that Moore had to draw family trees back to the great-grandparents of the people whose DNA profiles matched with the crime scene sample. Then, looking at descendants of these people, she found that the family trees converged on a couple who had only one son.
That was Talbott. His DNA has since been shown to match the crime scene sample.
Family tree of suspect in genetic genealogy search. CeCe Moore/Parabon NanoLabs
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“Detective work has sure come a long way in 30 years,” said Laura Baanstra, Cook’s sister.
Investigators said that they still don’t know the motive, or how Talbott met the couple. They appealed for help from anyone who knew Talbott at the time, or may have seen him in November 1987 in the stolen van or with Van Cuylenborg’s camera. “The investigation still has more work to be done,” Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary told reporters.
Family members of the victims said they were relieved that the alleged killer is finally in custody.
“It’s a sense of some justice that’s starting to happen here,” said John Van Cuylenborg, Tanya’s elder brother.
Glad the killer was caught but this is getting creepy.
Now that this method is nationally known, there will probably be a lot of unsolved cold cases brought back to the fore front...........
I knew it. I have always said those Genealogy Websites are just a way to gather a massive DNA database. They couldn’t get it from the masses by volunteers so they use those sites.
Soon, DNA samples will be mandatorily taken at birth and from schools and universities, so everyone will be in the database................
You can follow your family tree all the way back in time. As long as the paperwork exists for your 10xxxx removed great-great-great-great grandfather or grandmother.
Fascinating stuff, really. Explored on Who Do You Know Who You Are.
“Now that this method is nationally known, there will probably be a lot of unsolved cold cases brought back to the fore front...”
Exciting development, but a whole lot less people will be contributing a vial of spit to Ancestry, com, etc. There have been warnings up before about not handing over your DNA willy nilly as down the road it could be a “gotcha”.
It can solve crimes as long as we have a DNA match.
That’s not true for all cold cases that have no leads.
You’re exactly right - and you can’t keep the government from getting your genome by not providing it - if any of your relatives provide it, they can figure yours out.
Next - life insurance companies and health insurance companies will start figuring out how to get the data.
And the Democrats will try to see if there are genetic traits that conservatives and Republicans have - and then it will be “Precrime” all over again.
It is a Brave New World.
How soon before smart criminals start planting DNA evidence at crime scenes?
Not hard to pick up discarded cigarette butts or utensils from McDonalds garbage.
Maybe prostitutes paid for samples from johns?
“I knew it. I have always said those Genealogy Websites are just a way to gather a massive DNA database. They couldn’t get it from the masses by volunteers so they use those sites.”
I said this in the other thread about the Golden State Killer.
If a person decides to upload their DNA profile to a public database to “look for relatives”, they have essentially uploaded their whole family’s DNA profiles, because it doesn’t take long to work through the tree once you have a confirmed starting point.
If your brother or cousin decides to do it, then your DNA is essentially in the database as well.
Soon, DNA samples will be mandatorily taken at birth and from schools and universities, so everyone will be in the database................
Doesn’t the military already do this?
With the number of kids that are adopted, living with step parents or fostered this could get very unpleasant.
The good news is we found your biological father. And his brother is a serial killer.
I think they already take blood samples from newborns in some states. Read about that sometime this week. Yes they will at some point have everyone in that database.
Yep. Another reason 23 and Me was a Google investment.
Not that I wear a tinfoil hat, mind you.
Nevertheless, glad this guy was caught.
But a massive public DNA database? Eeeeek.
Exciting development, but a whole lot less people will be contributing a vial of spit to Ancestry, com, etc. There have been warnings up before about not handing over your DNA willy nilly as down the road it could be a “gotcha”.
Except it is not the “suspect” that submitted the DNA but a distant cousin.
Creepy? I’d say its wonderful. If you don’t like it.....don’t leave your DNA at a crime scene.
[Soon, DNA samples will be mandatorily taken at birth and from schools and universities, so everyone will be in the database................]
Correct. Don’t worry, it’s just a ‘999’.
All leading to that moment. We’re not there just yet....
Really 23 and Me Google investment? I shouldn’t be surprised.
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