DNA testing

[zetlander]

Just had DNA result from Ancestry and in the list of relatives is my 2 X g-grandfather.  Been searching for his details for years - had his name but he wasn't married to my 2 X  g-grandmother which made finding him almost impossible.
Well done Ancestry!

o/t If the Police have the DNA from a crime scene can they access the Ancestry in search for a match - (asking for a friend!)

[sparrett]

o/t If the Police have the DNA from a crime scene can they access the Ancestry in search for a match - (asking for a friend!)

That's how they found and arrested the Golden State Killer.

It's expensive, highly skilled and a very long process.  I would suggest a process reserved for very serious crimes. It is carried out by a forensic genealogist.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2020/06/30/genetic-genealogy-golden-state-killer/

Sue

[Ruskie]

I may be wrong, but I have a vague recall of a tick box on one site (Ancestry?) where you could permit your dna to be used in that way? Also, I wonder if the use of DNA in crime solving varies by country?

I’m sure someone will have some knowledge of the subject, but if not there is bound to be plenty of information on the internet.

[Biggles50]

Just had DNA result from Ancestry and in the list of relatives is my 2 X g-grandfather.  Been searching for his details for years - had his name but he wasn't married to my 2 X  g-grandmother which made finding him almost impossible.
Well done Ancestry!

o/t If the Police have the DNA from a crime scene can they access the Ancestry in search for a match - (asking for a friend!)

A persons DNA is only available to be used in Law Enforcement if they opt-in.

Default is that it is not available, I believe it is protected by personal data protection laws.

Gedmatch has a specific check box for opt-in.

One of the Morton Farrier series of books includes the FBI use of DNA to identify a subject.

[farmeroman]

I may be wrong, but I have a vague recall of a tick box on one site (Ancestry?) where you could permit your dna to be used in that way? Also, I wonder if the use of DNA in crime solving varies by country?

I’m sure someone will have some knowledge of the subject, but if not there is bound to be plenty of information on the internet.

The UK police cannot use Ancestry DNA or other genealogical sites for crime solving. All they have access to is the National DNA Database, which of course is a much smaller subset composed of DNA from any person who has been arrested and from crime scenes.

[Romilly]

I may be wrong, but I have a vague recall of a tick box on one site (Ancestry?) where you could permit your dna to be used in that way? Also, I wonder if the use of DNA in crime solving varies by country?

I’m sure someone will have some knowledge of the subject, but if not there is bound to be plenty of information on the internet.

It’s Gedmatch that has the option for your DNA to be used in criminal profiling.
I’ve never seen anything like that on Ancestry.

Romilly.

[aghadowey]

I think FTDNA also had the option for criminal profiling.

[Alison55]

Ancestry addresses the question of DNA and law enforcement in detail on its website. Briefly, in the United states, ANCESTRY releases some DNA information to law enforcement who provide a valid search warrant from a government agency with jurisdiction in that particular case.

Anyone interested in this question should really look at ANCESTRY‘s own website. Also practices may differ from one country to another, depending on the laws.

[Ruskie]

I think FTDNA also had the option for criminal profiling.

Perhaps that’s where I recall seeing it.