David Muir

And there was another young scientist.

David Middleman had worked in biomedical research for years before realizing that law enforcement was relying on a limited form of DNA testing. He knew that better technology was available, but said it just wasn't being widely used out there.

David Middleman had worked in biomedical research for years before realizing that law enforcement was relying on a limited form of DNA testing. He knew that better technology was available, but said it just wasn't being widely used out there.

You start to think, wow, this is really an unused tool here for law enforcement.

You start to think, wow, this is really an unused tool here for law enforcement.

Yeah. I felt wrong that there were tools available, and yet there was this piling up backlog of cases that were unsolved.

Yeah. I felt wrong that there were tools available, and yet there was this piling up backlog of cases that were unsolved.

So at one point, you turn to Kristen and you say, I want to start my own lab.

So at one point, you turn to Kristen and you say, I want to start my own lab.

100%.

100%.

And Othram's reputation now for cracking these cold cases using DNA evidence and forensic genetic genealogy is what actually led Michigan detectives to send that 30-year-old DNA to this lab. In the Kathy Swartz case, this DNA was how old when it got here from that pink phone?

And Othram's reputation now for cracking these cold cases using DNA evidence and forensic genetic genealogy is what actually led Michigan detectives to send that 30-year-old DNA to this lab. In the Kathy Swartz case, this DNA was how old when it got here from that pink phone?

It was decades old, and in spite of being so old, the DNA was still intact and usable for testing.

It was decades old, and in spite of being so old, the DNA was still intact and usable for testing.

So you knew right away this was suitable, and this was just his DNA, the suspect's?

So you knew right away this was suitable, and this was just his DNA, the suspect's?

Yeah, the DNA was a single unknown male contributor. It's a small sample, but in spite of that, there's anywhere from hundreds to thousands of cells worth of DNA.

Yeah, the DNA was a single unknown male contributor. It's a small sample, but in spite of that, there's anywhere from hundreds to thousands of cells worth of DNA.

So if you touch David's hand, How much DNA, how many cells have you left there?