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DNA Testing

FBI Releases Height, Key Info On Nancy Guthrie Kidnap Suspect, Doubles Reward Amount FBI Releases Height, Key Info On Nancy Guthrie Kidnap Suspect, Doubles Reward Amount
FBI Releases Height, Key Info On Nancy Guthrie Kidnap Suspect, Doubles Reward Amount The FBI has released new details about the male suspect in the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC "Today" show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. The agency describes him as 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10, with an average build and a black, 25-liter Walmart-brand Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack, according to the FBI’s Operational Technology Division analysis released early Thursday evening, Feb. 12. The masked man was seen tampering with Guthrie’s doorbell camera early Sunday morning, Feb. 1, the day she was reported missing. Today, the FBI is increasing its reward up …
Remains Of Man Missing Since 2004 Pulled From CT Lake Remains Of Man Missing Since 2004 Pulled From CT Lake
Remains Of Man Missing Since 2004 Pulled From CT Lake Connecticut detectives, working with a state anthropologist, have identified the remains of a man found in a lake last month as a man who went missing in 2004, authorities said.  Connecticut State Police were called to Mansfield Hollow Lake on Oct. 5 after someone spotted human remains floating on the surface.  After a month of investigation and DNA testing, police have identified those remains as Robert Cavanaugh, who had been missing since Christmas Eve 2004. Police said they believe he left a suicide note at his home before leaving.  He was 51 when he disappeared.&nb…
Remains Of 3 More 9/11 Victims ID'd Through DNA: Cancer Survivor, Aspiring MBA Among Them Remains Of 3 More 9/11 Victims ID'd Through DNA: Cancer Survivor, Aspiring MBA Among Them
Remains Of 3 More 9/11 Victims ID'd Through DNA: Cancer Survivor, Aspiring MBA Among Them Nearly 24 years after the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil, the remains of three more 9/11 victims have been identified, offering long-awaited closure to their families. On Thursday, Aug. 7, New York City officials announced three victims who had been identified through advanced DNA testing. They are: Ryan Fitzgerald, 26, of Floral Park, who was working on the 94th floor of the World Trade Center’s South Tower when it was struck by United Airlines Flight 175 Barbara Keating, 72, a cancer survivor from Palm Springs, California, who was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11 w…
PA Detective Cracks 2013 Cold Case Murder After DNA, Confession; Suspect Waives Hearing PA Detective Cracks 2013 Cold Case Murder After DNA, Confession; Suspect Waives Hearing
PA Detective Cracks 2013 Cold Case Murder After DNA, Confession; Suspect Waives Hearing A former Lancaster man accused of stabbing another man to death during a 2013 robbery has waived his preliminary hearing, prosecutors announced on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. Shawn D. Jones, 54, is charged with killing Allan Wayne Hess, 59, during a burglary in the 200 block of West Walnut Street on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office. Jones waived his hearing before Magisterial District Judge John Bender on Monday, July 29, allowing the case to proceed to Lancaster County Court. The cold case was reopened by Detective Sergeant Shawn Gunnet, who su…
Philly Boy Found Dead Under Virginia Bridge In 1972 ID’d — Mom, Boyfriend Suspected Killers Philly Boy Found Dead Under Virginia Bridge In 1972 ID’d — Mom, Boyfriend Suspected Killers
Philly Boy Found Dead Under Virginia Bridge In 1972 ID’d — Mom, Boyfriend Suspected Killers The body of a 4-year-old boy found under a Virginia bridge in 1972 has finally been identified — more than 50 years later. Fairfax County Police announced Monday, Aug. 4, that the child, long known only as “John Doe,” is Carl Matthew Bryant, a Philadelphia boy who vanished while traveling to Virginia with his mother and her boyfriend. Detectives made the identification using advanced DNA testing, forensic-grade genome sequencing, and a relentless genealogical investigation that led them from Northern Virginia to Philadelphia. “Detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau Cold Case Squad have so…
DNA Helps Nab Camden Man In Cold Case Homicide: Prosecutor DNA Helps Nab Camden Man In Cold Case Homicide: Prosecutor
DNA Helps Nab Camden Man In Cold Case Homicide: Prosecutor A 46-year-old Camden man was arrested and charged for a 2011 homicide after DNA testing linked him to the scene, authorities announced Thursday, July 10. On Tuesday, Oct. 2011 at 9:58 p.m., Camden police responded to an abandoned house on the 500 block of Mechanic Street and found Brian Holden, a 42-year-old Camden man lying in the front room with multiple stab wounds, Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay and Camden County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez said. Holden was taken to Cooper University Hospital where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. An investigation reveale…
‘He Jumped On Top Of Her’: DNA Links NJ Man To Rape Of Sleeping 76-Year-Old, Officials Say ‘He Jumped On Top Of Her’: DNA Links NJ Man To Rape Of Sleeping 76-Year-Old, Officials Say
‘He Jumped On Top Of Her’: DNA Links NJ Man To Rape Of Sleeping 76-Year-Old, Officials Say DNA testing led to the arrest of a 32-year-old Camden County man who is charged with sexually assaulting an elderly woman after breaking into her home, authorities announced Thursday, June 26. On Thursday, May 8 at 12:32 a.m., Stratford police responded to a report of a home invasion burglary and sexual assault, Camden County Prosecutor Grace  MacAulay and Stratford Police Chief Ronald Morello said.  A 76-year-old woman said while she was asleep in her bedroom, a man, later identified as Stephon Bullock, entered her room, jumped on top of her and held her down, authoriti…
Regeneron Buying Bankrupt 23andMe For $256M, Pledges To Protect DNA Data Regeneron Buying Bankrupt 23andMe For $256M, Pledges To Protect DNA Data
Regeneron Buying Bankrupt 23andMe For $256M, Pledges To Protect DNA Data Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will acquire embattled DNA testing company 23andMe in a $256 million court-supervised sale, promising to honor existing privacy protections and continue consumer services with no changes. The agreement to buy 23andMe was announced in a news release on Monday, May 19. It comes two months after 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Under the deal, Westchester County, New York-based Regeneron will take over 23andMe's personal genome service, total health, and research services. The telehealth brand Lemonaid Health will be shut down and Regeneron has offered to…
Felon Driving With Loaded 9MM Caught Speeding 55 MPH In Lebanon: DA Felon Driving With Loaded 9MM Caught Speeding 55 MPH In Lebanon: DA
Felon Driving With Loaded 9MM Caught Speeding 55 MPH In Lebanon: DA A Lebanon felon with a loaded handgun hidden inside his car was caught speeding more than double the limit, prosecutors announced on Friday, April 25. Junior Estevez was convicted of Felony Persons Not to Possess a Firearm, Felony Carrying a Firearm Without a License, and two Misdemeanor drug offenses after a Lebanon County jury trial, the District Attorney's Office said. The case started on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024, when Patrolman Andrew Weaver of the Lebanon City Police stopped Estevez for driving 55 mph in a 25 mph zone, prosecutors said. Weaver smelled marijuana and saw a digi…
Switched At Birth: NY Man Sues Hospital Over Life-Altering Mistake Uncovered By DNA Test Switched At Birth: NY Man Sues Hospital Over Life-Altering Mistake Uncovered By DNA Test
Switched At Birth: NY Man Sues Hospital Over Life-Altering Mistake Uncovered By DNA Test A New York man is suing a Queens hospital after a shocking DNA test revealed he was switched with another baby at birth and spent over six decades unknowingly living with the wrong family. Kevin McMahon, of Selden, alleges that Jamaica Hospital’s negligence led to him being sent home with the wrong parents—a mix-up that went undiscovered for 60 years, according to a lawsuit filed in Queens Supreme Court. The revelation came in late 2020, when McMahon’s sister, Carol Vignola, submitted her DNA to Ancestry.com. The results raised red flags when they showed no genetic connection to Kevin. Ins…
23andMe Files For Bankruptcy As Customers Urged To Delete Their Genetic Data 23andMe Files For Bankruptcy As Customers Urged To Delete Their Genetic Data
23andMe Files For Bankruptcy As Customers Urged To Delete Their Genetic Data Embattled genetic testing company 23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the latest blow after a massive data breach exposed the personal information of millions of customers. 23andMe CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki resigned on Sunday, Mar. 23, so she could bid for the company independently. Joseph Selsavage, the company’s chief financial and accounting officer, is now serving as interim CEO, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Wojcicki confirmed the move in a social media post on Monday, Mar. 24. "While I am disappointed that we have come to…
Skeletal Remains Found In Montco Identified: Coroner Skeletal Remains Found In Montco Identified: Coroner
Skeletal Remains Found In Montco Identified: Coroner The human skull and other skeletal remains found in a Towamencin retention basin on March 18 have been identified, according to the Montgomery County Coroner's Office.  They belonged to 34-year-old Isaias Hernandez-Geronimo, said Coroner Janine Darby at a press conference on Tuesday, July 30.  The remains were discovered by a surveyor in a wooded area near the retention basin on Welsh Road, officials said previously. There were "no initial indications of trauma or foul play discovered at the scene," authorities said at the time.  Hernandez-Geronimo was identified u…
Found Skull Matched To Central PA Woman Missing 16+ Years, DA Says Found Skull Matched To Central PA Woman Missing 16+ Years, DA Says
Found Skull Matched To Central PA Woman Missing 16+ Years, DA Says A skull found in 2020 has been DNA matched to a woman who went missing in 2007, the Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo told Daily Voice on Tuesday, Feb. 20.  Heike Leich was 47 when she wandered away from the home she shared with her common-law husband, Jonathan Hawthorne, in the 7900 block of Fishing Creek Valley Road in West Hanover Township at 7:30 p.m. on August 8, 2007, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. Hawthorne reported her missing, noting that she left behind her ID, purse, and medication — she had been diagnosed as bipolar and previously requ…
Skull Found In PA Pond Was That Of 2004 Attempted Murder Suspect, Officials Say Skull Found In PA Pond Was That Of 2004 Attempted Murder Suspect, Officials Say
Skull Found In Berks Pond ID'd As Roger Hart: Prosecutors A human skull discovered in an Amity Township pond has been identified as belonging to a missing attempted murder suspect, Berks County prosecutors say.  The skull was found by a child in a body of water near Pine Lane in April 2022, the District Attorney's Office wrote in a release Wednesday, Jan. 31. Two follow-up searches of the pond turned up no other human remains, authorities said.  Investigators believed the skull was that of Roger Hart, a former Pottstown resident who went missing in 2004 after he was charged with trying to kill his wife at their home. Hart fled the s…
This Bath Mat Could Be Key To Solving PA Infant's 1993 Death, State Police Say This Bath Mat Could Be Key To Solving PA Infant's 1993 Death, State Police Say
This Bath Mat Could Be Key To Solving PA Infant's 1993 Death, State Police Say Nearly 30 years after an infant girl was found dead in a trash bag off the side of a Schuylkill County backroad, state police investigators are still trying to learn her name.  The child, known to authorities only as Baby Jane Doe, was lifeless when she was found in New Castle Township on June 13, 1993, troopers said in a release. She was wrapped in a blanket and a bath mat before being placed in the bag, state police said. In a 1993 article, the Allentown Morning Call reported that the bag was thrown into the woods from the north edge of Darkwater Lane, about three-quarters of a mile off…
Human Remains Found In Luzerne County Identified As Wilkes-Barre Teen Girl Who Vanished In 1969 Human Remains Found In Luzerne County Identified As Wilkes-Barre Teen Girl Who Vanished In 1969
Human Remains Found In Luzerne County Identified As Wilkes-Barre Teen Girl Who Vanished In 1969 Pennsylvania State Police have identified the human remains found in Luzerne County nearly 10 years ago as a teenage girl who went missing in 1969, they announced Tuesday, Oct. 4. The remains were discovered on Nov. 17, 2012, by individuals digging for relics on the grounds of a former coal-mining operation in Newport Township, state police said.  Authorities now know they belong to Joan Marie Dymond, who was 14 years old when she disappeared from Andover Street Park on June 25, 1969. An examination determined the remains were those of a female, estimated to be in her mid-te…
FAMILY AFFAIR: Brothers, Cousin Charged In 2020 Murder Of Suburban Philly Man FAMILY AFFAIR: Brothers, Cousin Charged In 2020 Murder Of Suburban Philly Man
Family Affair: Brothers, Cousin Charged In 2020 Murder Of Suburban Philly Man Three family members were arrested nearly two years after their alleged involvement in a staged robbery that claimed the life of a 73-year-old man in the Philadelphia suburbs, authorities said. Raheem Pinder, 46, of Pottstown, Dayon Pinder, 44, of West Chester, and Nathaniel Pinder, 49, of Philadelphia, – two brothers and a cousin – have been charged with murder, robbery, burglary, conspiracy, and related offenses in the 2020 death of Ira Solomon in Phoenixville, Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said. "The abundance of home security footage provided to investigators …
PA Wedding DJ Who Confessed To Teacher's 1992 Murder Now Says He's Innocent PA Wedding DJ Who Confessed To Teacher's 1992 Murder Now Says He's Innocent
PA Wedding DJ Who Confessed To Teacher's 1992 Murder Now Says He's Innocent A Central Pennsylvania wedding DJ who two years ago pleaded guilty in the 1992 killing of school teacher Christy Mirack is changing his story: He's innocent, he says. Lancaster's Raymond Rowe -- otherwise known as DJ Freez -- in 2019 pleaded guilty to first degree murder and was sentenced to life without parole plus 60 to 120 years. The 52-year-old wedding DJ's lawyers last week submitted documentation alleging his innocence, requesting for new DNA testing in the homicide case. Rowe previously said that after the state sought the death penalty, he "had no choice but to plead guilty." …
DA: Berks County Man Sexually Abused 12-Year-Old Girl In Reading Home DA: Berks County Man Sexually Abused 12-Year-Old Girl In Reading Home
DA: Berks County Man Sexually Abused 12-Year-Old Girl In Reading Home A Berks County man was arrested Thursday on accusations he raped and sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl whom he was living with at the time, authorities announced. Elder Jacobo-Portal, 20, faces a slew of charges following an investigation that began on Jan. 26 after Reading police notified the Berks County Detective’s office about the rape and sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl, according to the Berks County District Attorney's office. Following a medical examination of the 12-year-old victim at Reading Hospital, the girl told investigators there were two separate assaults on Jan. 25 …