-- The forty-five-year investigation resulted in arrest after law enforcement's 
use of investigative genetic genealogy

Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs (GTH-GA) has announced that the 
Golden State Killer case was selected as the 2019 DNA Hit of the Year. The case 
was selected from 70 cases submitted from 20 countries. It was chosen by a 
panel of seven international judges with career backgrounds in forensic DNA. 
The recognition was announced during the annual Human Identification Solutions 
(HIDS) Conference held in Kobe, Japan. 

Now in its third year, the DNA Hit of the Year program is organized by GTH-GA, 
an international authority on DNA database policy, legislation, and law. "The 
2019 list of cases expresses the extraordinary commitment police have to solve 
and prevent crime with forensic DNA databases," said Tim Schellberg, GTH-GA's 
President. 

Judges selected the California case from seven finalists. The six runner-up 
cases were from Austria, Dubai, South Africa, Brazil, Massachusetts, and New 
York.  A full list of submitted cases and a presentation on this year's 
selected case and other case highlights can be found at 
http://www.dnaresource.com/hitoftheyear-2019.html

The Golden State Killer is accused of committing terrifying crimes between 1973 
and 1986.  Multiple DNA strategies were utilized while trying to solve these 
cases.  The break in the case occurred when crime scene DNA was placed into a 
genealogy database and an investigative lead was developed through a distant 
relative.  The announcement of the Golden State Killer's arrest through the use 
of investigative genetic genealogy set off a national phenomenon to identify 
suspects in some of the worst unsolved crimes in US history.  

Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said: "Using 
investigative genetic genealogy to identify those who are accused of horrific 
crimes has revolutionized law enforcement's ability to solve violent crime.  
This new law enforcement tool is bringing hope to victims and their families 
who have waited decades for justice."

"Having the Golden State Killer case chosen as the 2019 Hit of the Year is a 
great honor. The DNA Hit of the Year program demonstrates the value of DNA 
databases to solve and prevent crime through real cases.  It is my hope that 
governments continue to expand DNA programs to stop criminals and save lives," 
said District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert. 

SOURCE Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs

CONTACT: Tim Schellberg tims@gth-gov.com +1 (253) 209-8818