In 1987, someone broke into Edna Laughman’s home and suffocated and raped the 85 year old widow. She was found by her relative and best friend, Madeline Laughman. Within 2 weeks, Madeline’s son was arrested for Edna’s slaying. Barry Laughman “confessed” to the crime, and was tried, convicted, and spent 15 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Barry was finally exonerated by updated DNA testing in 2003. But the investigation into who killed his elderly relative was back to Square 1. The case languished until forensic genealogy pointed the investigators to Edna’s killer – someone who had been right under their noses the whole time.

In 2019, a woman called into Queens PD with a tip. She recalled that as a child in the late 1970's, she believed that her and her mom had witnessed her mom's then-boyfriend, Martin Motta, clean up, and cover up a murder he had committed in his barber shop, before dismembering his victim's remains to dispose of them. Although the witness couldn't provide exact details and dates, police took her seriously. She told police that some of the remains were likely buried in on the property she lived in as a child. Police wasted no time searching the area, and were able to recover human remains exactly where the tipster told them they would find them. And just as she had indicated, there was evidence that the victim; a man, had been dismembered.

In 2001, Orlando bartender and college student Christine Franke was attacked, shot, sexually assaulted and robbed in her own apartment. The evidence showed that she had just walked in the door from work when her assailant struck. DNA was collected from Christine’s person. Her romantic partner told police of a stalker, who was tracked down after an extensive investigation. The DNA ruled him out. After 17 years, police finally turned to the burgeoning new technique, forensic genealogy, which led them to focus on a very large family in Georgia. In this early forensic genealogy case, reference samples obtained from family members via a ruse led to the killer, and obtained justice for Christine, but left the killer’s family feeling manipulated.