Familial Searching
Grim Sleeper
The tenth case to be subjected to familial DNA searching in California was the “Grim Sleeper,” the same case that had been the first case to undergo the process.26,27,28 Following the California protocol29, one candidate offender’s Y-STR results were consistent with the Y-STR results from the evidence profile. In accordance with the protocol, the name of the candidate offender was disclosed to the submitting law enforcement agency. It should be emphasized that only at the end of this process was the identity of the candidate offender determined and disclosed to law enforcement. Up to that point the sole identifying information was the specimen identification number.
26 Los Angeles Times: Pizza slice helped link suspect to Grim Sleeper serial killings, sources say » (July 7, 2010)
27 ABC News, Nightline: Notorious ‘Grim Sleeper’ Serial Killer Nabbed? » (July 7, 2010)
28 Associated Press: Police make arrest in ‘Grim Sleeper’ killings »
29 The California protocol allows for a case to be resubmitted one year after an unsuccessful familial search.