It was around 2019 when I became completely infatuated with true crime, specifically true crime podcasts. Blame my daughter; I do! The first pod she introduced me to was My Favorite Murder. Karen and Georgia tell the stories with compassion, respect and humor.
I’ve always been interested in crime shows, law shows and how the justice system functions. Having MFM and so many other true crime pods in my ears while cleaning, cooking, walking and driving has made me even more eager to hear more.
In 2019 there was a huge announcement that the Golden State Killer had been captured. The way he was captured was through genealogic research. Hearing the amazing sequence of events that caused the capture of a serial rapist and murderer made me even more determined to upload my DNA file to GEDmatch.
Early on the data on genealogy web sites was available to police and law enforcement to use when researching crimes. Now the majority of sites are closed to law enforcement. One exception is GEDmatch. You can get your DNA tested using a kit from another site such as ancestry.com or 23andme.com. Then you can export the file and upload to GEDmatch. You will also have to opt in to allowing law enforcement to have access to your file.
For Christmas 2020 I asked for my very own DNA test. Since then I’ve been building our family tree on ancestry.com. It’s a fun hobby and I’ve been learning a lot about my family.
As of this writing I have finally uploaded my file to GEDmatch. So now we will wait and see if I get a call from the FBI asking questions about any family members…LOL!
RESOURCES
- Click here to buy your own ancestry DNA test. You’ll get 15% off when you use this link and I’ll get a gift card.
- Click here to join GEDmatch.
- Remember to upload your DNA test results to GEDmatch. Be sure to opt in to allow law enforcement to use your data to solve crimes. Join the Genetic Witness Program!