No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door!
Scientists Extracted DNA from Unknown Revolutionary War Soldiers. The Quest to Identify Them Breathes New Life Into Not-So-Ancient History. (Garden and Gun – 10/16/2025)
On August 16, 1780, the Continental Army clashed with the British in the piney woods of South Carolina, exchanging savage musket fire at close range. The Battle of Camden would prove a disastrous loss for the Americans, one of the worst of the Revolutionary War; some nine hundred Patriots died and a thousand more were captured. The fallen were hastily buried in shallow graves, and those remains would lie there for nearly 250 years, their stories lost until now, when advances in forensics and genetics have brought a team of archaeologists, historians, and scientists tantalizingly close to solving some of the nation’s oldest cold cases.
Polish Researchers Co-Develop DNA Tool to Estimate Age for Forensic Use (Polskie Radio – 10/17/2025)
Polish scientists helped create one of the most advanced forensic tools yet for estimating a person’s age from DNA, according to participants in the VISAGE consortium. The models, developed with Polish input, are being tested and validated in laboratories around the world.
VISAGE — Visible Attributes through Genomics — brought together several European centers led by Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. Poland was represented by Jagiellonian University and the Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police in Warsaw.
“This is a big success for Poland,” said Ewelina Pośpiech, now a professor at the Pomeranian Medical University and previously at Jagiellonian University. “The tool is being tested and validated globally.”
The Polish team built the age-prediction models, which rely on DNA methylation — chemical tags that change in predictable patterns as people age. So-called “epigenetic clocks” first appeared in 2011 and have become more precise as more DNA markers are added.
Forensics demands simpler, robust panels that work with small or degraded samples, Pośpiech said. The models were therefore designed around a smaller, carefully chosen set of markers and integrated with standard forensic lab technologies.
The tool estimates age to within roughly three years, sometimes better, the team said. Five prediction models were created for different tissues — blood, semen, oral swabs, bone and cartilage — reflecting the varied material found at crime scenes.
VISAGE combines a laboratory workflow with software that converts methylation data into an age estimate. The system has passed standard forensic validation and is now undergoing population testing by external research groups ahead of potential deployment.
Cold Cases? Expert Says Forensic Genetic Genealogy Could Help Guam with Long-Unsolved Crimes (Pacific Daily News – 10/17/2025)
Forensic genetic genealogy has transformed how law enforcement solves cold cases and could also help Guam crack open long-unsolved crimes, Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said on Thursday at the 3rd Regional Forensic Science Symposium.
The three-day symposium at Guam Community College wraps up Friday.
Forensic genetic genealogy combines DNA analysis with traditional genealogy to solve crimes and identify remains, especially in cases with no leads.
Schubert, a main presenter on Thursday, led the prosecution of the Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., responsible for a series of rapes and murders across California in the 1970s and 1980s.
Genealogy Identifies Infant in 1981 Cold Case as Police Search for Answers (Forensic – 10/22/2025)
The San Bruno Police Department has made a significant development in a decades-old cold case homicide involving the discovery of a deceased infant located in Buckeye Park in 1981.
In 1981, officers responded to Buckeye Park after the remains of an unidentified infant were found. Despite an exhaustive investigation at the time, investigators were unable to determine the child’s identity or identify the person(s) responsible for the death. The case remained unsolved for over four decades.
Through the use of forensic genetic genealogy, San Bruno Police Department investigators—working with Texas Department of Public Safety, law enforcement forensic partners, and specialized laboratories—were recently able to identify the infant’s family.
While the police department knows the identity of both parents, their names are not being released at this time. This identification represents a major step forward in the case and has renewed efforts to bring this case to justice.
Detectives are now seeking the public’s assistance as the investigation continues. Anyone with information about this case, the events occurring in Buckeye Park in November 1981, or individuals who may have knowledge related to the infant or their family is urged to contact the San Bruno Police Department.
Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner Teams with Othram to Identify a 1999 John Doe (DNASolves – 10/22/2025)
In August 1999, a man was found deceased by the housekeeping staff at a motel in Reno, Nevada. The man’s motel room was registered to a fictitious name. Authorities responded and began investigating. While investigators were able to rule out foul play, they were unable to identify the man, who was estimated to be between 50 to 60 years old, about 5′ 5″ tall, and weighed 137 pounds. The man had blue eyes, a mustache, and brown curly hair with gray roots.
Despite an extensive investigation, the man could not be identified, and he became known as Washoe County John Doe (1999). Details of the man’s case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP7633 in August 2010.
In May 2025, the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office once again partnered with Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office and Othram have previously collaborated on numerous prior investigations. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then performed a genealogical search using this profile, developing new investigative leads that were returned to the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.
This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, whose name will not be released at this time. The man’s family has been notified of his identification.
Toronto Police Genealogists win Forensic Science Award at IACP Conference (Toronto Police Service – 10/23/2025)
Three Toronto Police Service genealogists won a prestigious award at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) annual conference in Denver while five other TPS members asked to present on several topics, including antisemitism, victim’s services, disinformation and viral social media engagement.
On Tuesday night, three Toronto Police Service genealogists, Lauren Robilliard, Christina Lauritsen and Susan Page won the IACP August Vollmer Leadership in Forensic Science Award for playing a pivotal role in more than 100 investigations. The genealogists in the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit use innovative techniques in genetic research and family tree analysis, often using DNA evidence, to help crack cold cases.
Their work has helped solve complex criminal cases by identifying suspects and human remains and have provided leads that would have otherwise been impossible to obtain.
Their work has resulted in solving 52 Investigative Genetic Genealogy Cases in partnership with 14 other Ontario Police Services. They have also collaborated with national and regional agencies and outside police services, including the RCMP, enhancing cross-border criminal investigations and ensuring a broader impact.
“This international recognition for the extraordinary work of these TPS genealogists reflects their dedication, expertise, and invaluable service to law enforcement and is proof in the power of collaboration and innovation, and our Command Team is so proud of their achievements,” said Chief Myron Demkiw, who serves as Vice-Chair of the IACP’s Global Policing Division Committee to foster international collaboration and integration.
The Toronto Police Service made a significant impact at the IACP conference as five other members were invited to present on several topics including how to prevent disinformation from eroding public trust in police. Chief Superintendent Shannon Dawson explained how strategic disinformation can deceive, harm, or manipulate the communities we serve. Corporate Communications Director Natalie Clancy spoke about the need for rapid response, fact checking and to correct harmful disinformation swiftly and accurately to mitigate threats to public safety; while Strategic Stakeholder Relations Manager Brian Moniz spoke about strategies to foster community trust and engagement through transparency; and educate the public about disinformation while promoting resilience and critical thinking.
Ancient DNA Database Faces Uncertain Future after Funding Expires (The Crimson – 10/23/2025)
Researchers at a Harvard Medical School laboratory are uncertain how they will continue supporting a large public genetic database after its primary source of funding expired last month.
The Allen Ancient DNA Resource is a manually curated collection of genetic data from thousands of ancient and present-day individuals, covering more than 1.2 million positions in the genome. The project’s eight-year grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation ended in September, leaving its future unclear.
David E. Reich ’96, professor of genetics at HMS who leads the AADR, said the lab is still looking for a funding source and is at risk of shutting down the publicly accessible resource that has been downloaded more than 67,000 times by researchers across the world.
“There are no specific sources of funding that are currently supporting the database,” Reich wrote. “We cannot sustain this for more than a short term and would have to end the AADR without renewal of a funding source.”
The most recent version was published in September 2024. Reich’s lab anticipated an updated release for the spring of 2025, but it was postponed due to ongoing funding uncertainties.
His research team submitted a proposal to the National Institutes of Health to renew a grant that has sustained the Reich Lab’s research for fourteen years, with the specific intention to maintain the AADR.
DNA Doe Project identifies Jane Doe found in New Mexico in 2022 (DNA Doe Project – 10/24/2025)
Three years after her body was discovered, Los Lunas Jane Doe has been identified as 56-year-old Lisa Marie Vernon. Vernon was reported missing after disappearing from nearby Albuquerque; she had last been seen on 4 June 2022, six weeks before her body was found under a tree on a Los Lunas property.
On July 16, 2022, the remains of a woman were located on private property in Los Lunas, New Mexico. Found with her was a backpack which contained clothes, a water bottle, and a diary, although the diary did not contain any writings that assisted in her identification. Due to the decomposed nature of the remains, authorities were unable to estimate her age or determine her race.
The Valencia County Sheriff’s Office later brought this case to the DNA Doe Project, whose expert volunteer investigative genetic genealogists work pro bono to identify Jane and John Does. Soon after the genealogy research on the case commenced, the family tree of the unidentified woman began to come into focus.
“It didn’t take us long to figure out that Los Lunas Jane Doe had connections to both Illinois and Tennessee,” said team co-leader Lisa Ivany. “However, we could also tell that she likely had recent ancestors from outside the US, especially as a number of her DNA matches were from Europe.”
A team worked on this case for two and a half months, building a tree that grew to comprise thousands of people. Eventually, a new DNA match allowed the team to home in on a woman who’d moved from Illinois to New Mexico. They then found out that she had a daughter named Lisa Marie Vernon, and before long they made a shocking discovery – the New Mexico Department of Public Safety listed Vernon as a missing person, as she had not been seen since June 2022.
Shortly afterwards, with the genealogical evidence and the timing of her disappearance lining up, Vernon was presented to the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office as a possible candidate. Further DNA testing later confirmed that Lisa Marie Vernon was, in fact, the woman formerly known only as Los Lunas Jane Doe.
“Investigative genetic genealogy is a powerful tool,” said team co-leader Emily Bill. “Even though the DNA matches we had were from elsewhere, our research led us all the way to New Mexico and then to Lisa herself.”
The DNA Doe Project is grateful to the groups and individuals who helped solve this case: the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office, who entrusted us with this case; Bode Technology for DNA extraction; Genologue for sequencing; Astrea Forensics for bioinformatics; GEDmatch Pro, DNA Justice and FamilyTreeDNA for providing their databases; Audiochuk for their support; our generous donors who joined our mission and contributed to this case; and the DNA Doe Project’s dedicated teams of volunteer investigative genetic genealogists who work tirelessly to bring all our Jane and John Does home.