Investigator

It sounded like science fiction at the time, this way you could take decades-old DNA, put it into a genealogy database, build a family tree for your suspect, and then that takes you right to his door. That was pretty amazing.

Within a year, he was solving cases almost every week. And the more cold cases they closed, the more publicity they got. And police departments around the world started sending them cases. It's just grown exponentially. In terms of publicly announced solves, Othram is number one in the world. That includes homicides, rapes, unidentified bodies that they've been able to give names to.

Within a year, he was solving cases almost every week. And the more cold cases they closed, the more publicity they got. And police departments around the world started sending them cases. It's just grown exponentially. In terms of publicly announced solves, Othram is number one in the world. That includes homicides, rapes, unidentified bodies that they've been able to give names to.

Correct. At that point, Authram's in-house genealogy team takes over to build a family tree for the suspected killer of Kathy Swartz.

Correct. At that point, Authram's in-house genealogy team takes over to build a family tree for the suspected killer of Kathy Swartz.

Brandon Best is almost out of central casting for a Texas Ranger. He's this imposing man with his white hat. When David Middleman founded Othram, nobody had heard of them. And when Best visited in 2019, he was really kind of taken aback.

Brandon Best is almost out of central casting for a Texas Ranger. He's this imposing man with his white hat. When David Middleman founded Othram, nobody had heard of them. And when Best visited in 2019, he was really kind of taken aback.

Pass came away impressed. He heard about the opportunity to solve a cold case, and he thought, let's team up.

Pass came away impressed. He heard about the opportunity to solve a cold case, and he thought, let's team up.

So on January 14, 1995, the Beaumont Police Department gets a 911 call from a man at a townhouse in West Beaumont.

So on January 14, 1995, the Beaumont Police Department gets a 911 call from a man at a townhouse in West Beaumont.

He had found his daughter in the second floor bathroom, slumped over the tub.

He had found his daughter in the second floor bathroom, slumped over the tub.

That woman was Catherine Edwards, and she's a teacher at a local elementary school.

That woman was Catherine Edwards, and she's a teacher at a local elementary school.

Her father said he grabbed her and pulled her over and rolled her over to look and see if there's anything he could do. He was crying hysterically.

Her father said he grabbed her and pulled her over and rolled her over to look and see if there's anything he could do. He was crying hysterically.

Dad covers her with a towel. Police show up. There's one officer by the name of Carmen Brown. She shows up first, and she secures the crime scene.

Dad covers her with a towel. Police show up. There's one officer by the name of Carmen Brown. She shows up first, and she secures the crime scene.

Catherine and her twin sister Allison grew up in Beaumont. They're part of a close-knit Presbyterian family. They both attended Forest Park High School and then Lamar University, which is in Beaumont. And they both became school teachers at the Beaumont Independent School District. Catherine and her sister were extremely close.