This year New York joined Colorado and California as states that now use familial DNA to try to solve cold cases.

From Wikipedia:

“Familial DNA database searching (sometimes referred to as “Familial DNA” or “Familial Searching”) is the practice of creating new investigative leads in cases where DNA evidence found at the scene of a crime (forensic profile) strongly resembles that of an existing DNA profile (offender profile) in a state DNA database but there is not an exact match.”

The picture is of Lonnie D. Franklin Jr., 57, who was arrested in California last year and charged with 10 counts of murder and one of attempted murder. The state DNA lab linked Franklin’s son’s DNA (who had been convicted of a felony weapons charge) to evidence from crimes scenes of serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper.

From NY1: “According to the New York Post, starting April 1st, the city medical examiner’s office will begin notifying police and prosecutors if partial DNA collected from 25 cold case crime scenes matches DNA profiles of any convicted felons in the state’s databank.”

The ACLU and others are critical of the practice, saying it is an invasion of privacy. I would like to hear more specifics about what the dangers of this practice might be.

The picture is by AP photographer Nick Ut.