Nineteenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

In April 2018, law enforcement officials announced the arrest of an accused serial killer and rapist in the US state of California. After decades of investigating the case, they had a new tool: a genealogy database. Investigators matched what had been unidentified crime scene DNA to DNA profiles uploaded to GEDmatch and with the help of a genetic genealogist, they constructed family trees and used historical documents to narrow down members to a single potential suspect. Unlike the FBI’s National DNA Index System, the suspect did not have to be in the registry, only a distant relative did. This case, and others like it, reveal the potential for the technique, known as genetic genealogy, to help solve crimes, especially cold cases. But at this intersection of genetics and technology, ethical concerns emerge. This analysis chronicles cases involving police use of GEDmatch and website policy changes and pushback that ensued, as well as other events that highlight the vulnerability of user privacy and consent when a platform is used for unanticipated purposes and without established oversight. It strives to cover how those concerns become reconfigured in the digital age, particularly when private entities are entrusted with highly sensitive data.