Josh Mankiewicz

And I don't want you at the crime scene and you're not a law enforcement officer and you don't have any subpoena power. There's lots of reasons why, why average citizens should not get involved in things like this. But in this case, detective hope was actually, he was like, yeah, let's go.

And I don't want you at the crime scene and you're not a law enforcement officer and you don't have any subpoena power. There's lots of reasons why, why average citizens should not get involved in things like this. But in this case, detective hope was actually, he was like, yeah, let's go.

Now, when this happened, that was quite new. Now it's something that we almost take for granted in criminal cases.

Now, when this happened, that was quite new. Now it's something that we almost take for granted in criminal cases.

It is, and it's becoming so common that when we do these stories on Dateline now, it's only a little part of the story. But at this time, it was kind of the story.

It is, and it's becoming so common that when we do these stories on Dateline now, it's only a little part of the story. But at this time, it was kind of the story.

It really was groundbreaking. And it also shows you not just sort of what can be accomplished through science, but also sort of the dedication and fascination and obsession, almost, of the people who got involved. Because they didn't know her. They didn't know anything about her. answer.

It really was groundbreaking. And it also shows you not just sort of what can be accomplished through science, but also sort of the dedication and fascination and obsession, almost, of the people who got involved. Because they didn't know her. They didn't know anything about her. answer.

This is all information, the genetic information that they use to identify her. This is essentially what is done in numerous cases, both ones that you and I have covered and other people, usually done to identify killers. You have the killer's DNA, but it doesn't match anybody.

This is all information, the genetic information that they use to identify her. This is essentially what is done in numerous cases, both ones that you and I have covered and other people, usually done to identify killers. You have the killer's DNA, but it doesn't match anybody.

So you look at the panoply of information that is available out there on commercial DNA websites to see whether you can find family members. And then you kind of work backwards from their third, fourth, fifth cousin.

So you look at the panoply of information that is available out there on commercial DNA websites to see whether you can find family members. And then you kind of work backwards from their third, fourth, fifth cousin.

If anybody wants to look at their own DNA on a site like 23andMe or Ancestry, you specifically check some box and say, I want to make sure that that is uploaded and available to other people. And that way, I'll be able to find cousins or relatives that I don't know about. And so that's what this was. This is information that people have chosen to make public about themselves.

If anybody wants to look at their own DNA on a site like 23andMe or Ancestry, you specifically check some box and say, I want to make sure that that is uploaded and available to other people. And that way, I'll be able to find cousins or relatives that I don't know about. And so that's what this was. This is information that people have chosen to make public about themselves.

It seems very personal to me. I'm not sure I'd do it. I did one of these once. You did, huh? Yeah. And it says on there, by the way, like, get ready for when this comes because it may reveal things to you that you don't know.

It seems very personal to me. I'm not sure I'd do it. I did one of these once. You did, huh? Yeah. And it says on there, by the way, like, get ready for when this comes because it may reveal things to you that you don't know.

And I have no pulse. That's exactly right. When I did it, by the time I did it, the Golden State killer case had been solved. And so I just thought, well, I should do it for that reason. I wasn't actually looking forward to, you know, meeting any relatives that I hadn't met. But I did it just for the sort of law enforcement reason that every little bit of information helps.

And I have no pulse. That's exactly right. When I did it, by the time I did it, the Golden State killer case had been solved. And so I just thought, well, I should do it for that reason. I wasn't actually looking forward to, you know, meeting any relatives that I hadn't met. But I did it just for the sort of law enforcement reason that every little bit of information helps.

Like in cases like this and other murders that you and I have covered, it can make an enormous difference.

Like in cases like this and other murders that you and I have covered, it can make an enormous difference.