I hadn't heard much about all this (other than being vaguely aware that Patton Oswalt had lost his wife a few years ago) until hearing him on Fresh Air talking about the book. That's pretty amazing if it turns out this is the guy. I'd been meaning to read the book anyway, and now it sounds like there's even further incentive.
The last update I heard about this, the police had used a genealogical site to track the DNA samples found at a crime scene to the suspects family and after he was arrested they matched it with his DNA. So it looks like they really did catch the guy.
Yep. As an aside, it's pretty crazy how it wasn't even a case of him submitting stuff to a genealogy site; all it took was someone related to him.
Super shitty IMO. The police probably just took some of his dna then created a fake profile on one of these sites and then asked for samples from those matched. No warrant needed all it takes is one dipshit in your family tree to submit their info and you are in the DNA database. I’m surprised other interests aren’t using the same tactics. If I was running a shady insurance company I could use this to find people who likely share dna that puts them at risk for expensive care. Or search for a politicians illegitimate children and all sorts of other fun things. Even better if you have access to the Facebook backed just think of all the dirt you could dig up by merging data off the two databases
On the other had, my father-in-law found a daughter he never knew he had, which was wild. They didn't know each other for 45 or so years, and now they're super close. I imagine that there is destined to be a lot of cheating inadvertently unmasked by these databases.
Sure, and I can't imagine this isn't being done.