Forensic genetic genealogy is an effective tool for solving cold cases and providing answers to families when traditional methods fail.

“our company is United data connect and our logo is we solve cold cases with DNA and genetic genealogy and that's what we do”

Next generation sequencing has significantly improved the ability to extract and identify DNA from long-term, chemically treated human remains.

“in 2016 we developed and validated a method that allowed us to get dna results from it using what we call next generation sequencing that's those instruments that you hear about personalized medicine yeah so we adapted we adapted from the medical side brought it in created a test that is not commerc”

The host believes that DNA testing services are a valuable tool for individuals to investigate their personal history and heritage.

“But did you ever want to be a detective? Well, here's your chance. The case yourself and your own history. That's why I partnered with My Heritage to investigate my very own.”

Advancements in forensic DNA technology, specifically familial testing, are crucial tools for solving cold cases that have remained stagnant for decades.

“Wendy's story is a perfect example of how justice can prevail. No matter how long it takes. And hopefully it will serve as an inspiration for all those families out there still waiting for their own justice.”

Forensic science and DNA analysis are essential tools for accurately identifying which tiger is responsible for human attacks.

“If you accept that actually having a tiger that's hunting humans is a really bad thing and that that tiger needs to be removed from that situation in some way or another, then you need to be sure that you are getting the correct tiger.”

A death investigator's primary role is to establish the context of a death, distinguishing between homicides, accidents, and suicides by examining the scene and evidence.

“So, let's say a gunshot wound to the head, but is it a homicide or an accident? That's my job. I go to the scene of the death and working alongside the police independently but yet cooperatively I examine the body in its scene and it gives it the context.”

The evidence at the scene, including the lack of blood spatter and the physical difficulty of the reported act, makes the suicide theory logically and scientifically impossible.

“there was no blood in the boat. Given that kind of wound, I mean, buckshot to the head is going to have completely I mean, there's going to be blood, brain matter, bone fragments all over the place, and there was none of that in the boat or on Pat from what we could tell.”

The medical examiner significantly failed in his handling of the case by prematurely and confidently attributing the death to a shark attack without proper expertise.

“Well above all else it's a failure of the medical examiner who called Yeah. called it so early on was so confident in it when he had no idea what the [ __ ] he was talking about. No literally lying about know the police followed his lead so”

The blood droplets found outside indicate a quickly bleeding injury rather than a serious, high-volume wound like a gunshot.

“It doesn't seem like the type of blood staining that you would get from a very serious injury like a gunshot. We typically expect to see much smaller stains associated with a gunshot. And then once you are bleeding from a serious injury, we do tend to see a lot more blood.”

Derek Levasseur maintains that even before modern DNA testing, investigators were supposed to be swabbing evidence, but often failed to store it properly.

“they were swabbing and taking in evidence, but they weren't preserving it correctly. So even though they had something of value at the time, because they stored it in a way that wasn't conducive to the DNA staying on that item, by the time you get to it much later, when you analyze it, there's nothi”

The host expresses that polygraph tests are inaccurate and not an exact science.

“obviously these days in 2022 we know that polygraph tests are not very accurate they're not an exact science they're not admissible in court because they're just they're a bit Naf they're not they're not that great”

Bite-mark analysis is unreliable and should not be used as evidence for a conviction.

“After all, bimark analysis has since been condemned by several leading scientific bodies as complete poppycock with no scientific basis.”

The D.C. crime lab is functionally useless because it has been plagued by fraudulent behavior, lack of expertise, and consistent failure to correctly analyze evidence.

“The crime lab was useless. The problems were so staggering and so incredible that no prosecutor could use anything they produced.”