Dutch Cold Case Murder Solved After 8000 People Gave Their DNA 513
sciencewatcher writes "A 1999 cold case rape and murder in The Netherlands has been solved. Dutch police asked 8000+ men living within 5 kilometers of the crime scene to volunteer their DNA so that the murderer could be traced through (close or distant) family members sharing part of this DNA. As it turned out, the man now in custody turned in his own DNA, resulting in a 100% match. The request of the police was discussed here on Slashdot in September. The percentage of people participating was closing in on 90%; in the midsize town of the victim it was 96%."
Re:Privacy issue: DNA dragnets (Score:0, Funny)
I don't like the idea of DNA dragnets.
Just because I'm a male within 5km of a rape does not mean I should be required to give up my DNA.
First, who owns it? Does it get destroyed? Do I trust government to do that competently? No: it will be sold to the highest bidder.
Second, am I coerced into doing this? Will they shame me publicly for not giving up my DNA?
Finally, who else knows about it? Is my health insurance going up because they've found I'm susceptible to lung cancer or AIDS? What if there's a way to tell if I'm gay or prone to alcoholism (hic)?
There's got to be a better way to solve these rapes than asking all of us to give up private information at the threat of arrest.
Me thinks he doth protest too much. Are you a murderer or do you think they will find you have the gay gene?
Re:Sounds improbable (Score:5, Funny)
The guy had a wife and child. If your wife starts saying "Hey you should do this" it's probably hard to say no to her, even if you know it'll result in doom
If he had a wife like that, he probably did it because it would result in him being arrested.
Re:Sounds improbable (Score:3, Funny)
"As it turned out, the man now in custody turned in his own DNA, resulting in a 100% match."
If he was really the guy who did it: Was he wondering whether the DNA-research would work? Why not just turn himself in?
It was a cold case. Maybe he forgot he was involved in a murder in the first place. "Oh, that murder case! I forgot all about that one... ...wait, give my DNA back, I don't want to volunteer!"