DNA: ID True Crime Podcast

04/11/2024

Out now on EP124 of DNA: ID Podcast-

In February 1977, 14 year old Maria Honzell was babysitting for two little boys in her apartment complex. While everyone thought the boys were asleep, someone stabbed her to death and left he bloodied body in the bedroom. But the boys weren’t asleep – and one of them witnessed the crime. His description of the killer drove the investigation for years to come – but didn’t help solve the case. It took CeCe Moore and forensic genealogy to do that. When the police learned the name of the killer … it did not answer a lot of questions about what led up to the murder of Maria Honzell.

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/ep124-maria-honzell-parts1and2-5mjk-sjlp2-6lrbw-82yxj-784c8-4mkpb-gl52d-kldny

28/10/2024

Out now on EP123 of DNA: ID Podcast- Doe ID; Melissa Highsmith

This Doe ID episode is a bit different from most other ones, because the victim in this case is alive and well. In August, 1971, when Melissa Highsmith was just 22 months old, her mother Alta; desperate for a babysitter, allowed a stranger she didn't know to watch over her little girl in Fort Worth, Texas. Alta was terrified when the woman never contacted her again, and took Melissa with her. The woman had provided Alta with fake information, and no real way to contact her. With not much to go on, police were not much help. Alta prayed and believed in her heart that the woman who took Melissa did so because she wanted a little girl and would raise her and keep her safe.

Decades later, Alta along with her family members who never gave up hope that Melissa was out there someplace, began to do their own investigation, and called upon genealogy to help find her. After uploading their DNA profiles to a public database, they found family members that they believed to be biological children of Melissa. More digging proved that they were correct, and they were finally reunited with Melissa who had indeed been raised by a woman she thought was her mother under an assumed name; Melanie Miyoko . Although Melissa had many struggles in her life, she was alive, and happy to reunite with her real family. She now has her real name back; it's Melissa Highsmith, and this is her story.

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/ep123-doe-id-melissa-highsmith-5mjk-sjlp2-6lrbw-82yxj-784c8-4mkpb-gl52d

22/10/2024

Out now on EP122 of DNA: ID Podcast- Patricia Stichler Parts 1 & 2

New Years’ Day 1985 should have rung in an exciting new year for Patti Stichler and her three young daughters. Instead, in the middle of the night on January 1-2, someone slashed and stabbed Patti to death in her bedroom. Her three girls, ages 11, 9 and 6, were in their bedrooms just feet away. The oldest, Andrea, was the one to find her mom, and also found the most significant clue the police had – the open window in the blood-stained bathroom, and the gaping curtains that had been cut away from it. A knife sheath was found right outside, but the killer eluded police for decades. Sylvania, OH investigators focused on people Patti knew, but could not link anyone in her inner circle to the crime. Decades later, a very complex forensic genealogy analysis that required interpreting one-sided DNA matches, piercing adoption records, and a lot of luck, finally provided a name – and it was not who anyone suspected.

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/9xglar65zhwgblh

15/10/2024

Out now on EP121 of DNA: ID Podcast-
Doe: ID 'Oscar Talley Road Jane Doe' Shawna Beth Garber

In December, 1990, a couple discovered a human skull on an abandoned farm on Oscar Talley Road near Lanagan, Missouri. A search of the area by police revealed more bones, and clothing. The remains were determined to be that of a woman, but she carried no ID. A white towel had been wrapped around the woman's head, and she was tied with several types of bindings made up of ropes, cords, and coax cables. Due to the state of decomposition, the cause and manner of death could not be determined, but police were confident that the woman had been the victim of a homicide. The dead woman was given the name 'Oscar Talley Road Jane Doe' and police went about trying to figure out how she died and who was responsible; but first, they needed to find out their victim's name, and it would take decades. Along the way, her remains would even be misplaced, and finding them became an investigation within the investigation. In 2021, after more than three decades, genealogy and DNA were used to identify 'Oscar Talley Road Jane Doe' as Shawna Beth Garber. She was 22 years old when she died in 1990. As tragic as the end of her life was, as investigators dug into her background, it seemed as if Shawna never had an easy life; instead it was filled with abuse, and being separated from her family. Now that police knew who their victim was, they focused on finding the person that killed her, and they zeroed in on a man named Taffey Reeves. Unfortunately, Reeves was dead by the time this case was solved, and when investigators looked into his background, they found a disturbing pattern of crimes that led them to believe he was a serial killer. The investigation into Reeves and whether he has other victims is ongoing. After more than three decades, 'Oscar Talley Road Jane Doe' has her name back; it's Shawna Beth Garber, and this is her story.

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/ep122-oscar-talley-road-jane-doe-shawna-beth-garber-5mjk-sjlp2-6lrbw-82yxj-784c8-4mkpb

08/10/2024

Episode 120 of DNA: ID is out now with the case of Melinda Salazar and Carrole Ann White. Starting in 2017, someone started killing women in southwest Detroit, MI. The killer struck at night, and always used the same weapon – his car. Detroit police realized that they had a serial killer on their hands. His MO was always the same – pick up a white, female s*x worker; have a s*xual encounter with her in his vehicle; and then, run her down with that vehicle and rob her. He was brazen, ruthless, and active, with at least five cases fitting his MO. Despite all the trappings of modern technology at detectives’ disposal, they could not identify the Hit and Run Killer. Finally, the application of forensic genealogy in an active investigation gave detectives what they needed – a name. This episode features an exclusive interview with CeCe Moore on her genealogy analysis, and brings to listeners a case that received very little media coverage.

https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/dna-id-1571685/episodes/recent

30/09/2024

Out now on EP119 of DNA: ID Podcast, Doe: ID 'Chimney Doe' Ronnie Joe Kirk.

In 1989, a custodian in a music store in Madison, Wisconsin discovered human remains in the chimney. At first, it was not clear that the remains were of a male or female, and remnants on clothing though to be a dress fueled confusion. An expert told police that the remains certainly belonged to a man, but since there was no ID with the body, they had no idea who the person was, nor did they know how their body had managed to get down the very small opening of the chimney, or if he was a homicide victim. For years the case remained a mystery, and the man was named 'Chimney Doe'. Eventually, DNA & genealogy proved that the remains were that of Ronnie Joe Kirk who dropped from sight in 1970 after losing contact with his family. Kirk was born in Oklahoma and is known to have travelled through Alabama, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. Authorities now know who he is, but how his remains got where they were found, and whether or not he's a homicide victim, remain a mystery and police are still trying to put the pieces together. Chimney Doe now has his name back; it's Ronnie Joe Kirk, and this is his story.

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/ep119-chimney-doe-ronnie-doe-kirk-5mjk-sjlp2-6lrbw-82yxj-784c8

24/09/2024

Episode 118 of DNA: ID Podcast is out now with the case of Donna Sue Hyatt

Donna Sue Hyatt was a loving daughter, sister, mother and grandmother who faced some challenges in life. She relied on her friends, family and faith to help her put a smile on her face every day, and she was always friendly, chatty and sunny – until someone murdered her on her living room floor. There were plenty of suspects both in Donna Sue’s life and in the larger Carlsbad, NM area she called home. But police could not pin the crime on any one of them, although they had their suspicions. Eventually the case went cold. DNA testing in 2010 revived the case, but could not solve it. It would take the advent of forensic genealogy to link a repeat offender to Donna’s brutal slaying – someone who had gotten away with it before. (Photos; Donna and her killer Michael Ruff Wigley in this never before seen/released mugshot photo)

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/episode118-donna-sue-hyatt-5mjk-sjlp2-6lrbw-82yxj-m4f4k-rtrej-kxzcf-f6xpw-4x2ar-n53fs-e24xg-nc7wc-8ljex-ckgwn-mk3xc-y6d5s-y6zdp-h5chl-rex8k-5y4cx-f54kd-m98jg-df6hr-nrfmh-6b454-dxb49-jgb2y-wg99p-ahr4c

16/09/2024

Out now on EP117 of DNA: ID Podcast, Doe: ID 'Rhinelander John Doe' Norman Grasser

On March 19,1980, a deceased man was found off of Highway 17, between Rhinelander and Eagle River in Wisconsin. He carried no ID, and the authorities came to the conclusion that he had died as a result of hypothermia, perhaps after falling in the cold and never waking up. The man didn't appear to have the ideal clothing or shoes for walking out in such a cold area, and he didn't carry any ID. After feeling comfortable that they had resolved how he died, the authorities struggled to find anyone in the area who they felt could be a match for him, and his prints were not found to be a match to any on file. The dead man was dubbed 'Rhinelander John Doe'. Finally after advancements in DNA and genealogy, authorities decided to make a new attempt to ID Rhinelander John Doe, and in In January 2023, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office enlisted the assistance of Ramapo College of New Jersey Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center to help solve the case. The plan worked, and Rhinelander John Doe was identified as Norman Grasser of Chicago. Just how he came to be in Wisconsin remains a mystery. His family had searched for him after filing a missing persons report, but unfortunately, authorities in Chicago never linked their missing persons case to the John Doe in Wisconsin. 'Rhinelander John Doe' finally has his name back; it's Norman Grasser, and this is his story.

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/ep117-rhinelander-john-doe-norman-grasser-5mjk-sjlp2-6lrbw-82yxj

09/09/2024

Out now on EP 116 of DNA:ID podcast, the case of Terry Paquette.

Terry Paquette worked 60+ hours a week as manager of the Lil Champ convenience store on Clarcona Ocoee Road in Lockhart, FL. It was there that he was stabbed 73 times in the store bathroom in 1996. The investigation was approached from several angles, including that Terry was slain in the course of a robbery, or that he was killed in a hate crime. Detectives investigating the case over the years felt certain that Terry knew his killer, but a thorough dissection of his personal life failed to turn up any viable suspects. When forensic genealogy came along, it pointed to someone detectives had never heard of – someone who had more connection to Terry and the Lil Champ than anyone had guessed.

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/episode116-terry-paquette-5mjk-sjlp2-6lrbw-82yxj-m4f4k-rtrej-kxzcf-f6xpw-4x2ar-n53fs-e24xg-nc7wc-8ljex-ckgwn-mk3xc-y6d5s-y6zdp-h5chl-rex8k-5y4cx-f54kd-m98jg-df6hr-nrfmh-6b454-dxb49-jgb2y-wg99p

02/09/2024

Out now on Episode 115 of DNA: ID Podcast-

Doe ID 'Rock Collection John Doe' Captain Everett Leland Yager

A strange mystery unfolded after a boy in Arizona inherited a rock collection from his grandfather in 2002. The boy's mother while looking through the collection found something disturbing; something she knew was not a rock. It was a partial human jawbone containing several teeth. She contacted the Yavapai County Sheriff's office about the disturbing find. It was theorized at first that the remains could have come from a nearby Native American burial grounds, but they soon discounted that theory, and without any kind of clues to go on, they dubbed the remains 'Rock Collection John Doe'.

In 2023, The Ramapo College of New Jersey’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center, decided to take on identifying the remains. They were successful; the remains belonged to a Captain Everett Leland Yager. There was just one problem, Captain Yager had died in plane crash in California in 1951, and he was laid to rest in his home state of Missouri. The identification of the Captain's remains solved one mystery, but opened up another; how did Captain Yager's jawbone wind up in Arizona decades after he was laid to rest in another state?

After more than two decades, 'Rock Collection John Doe' finally has his name back; it's Captain Everett Leland Yager, and this is his story.

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/ep115-rock-collection-john-doe-captain-everett-leland-yager-5mjk-sjlp2-6lrbw-82yxj-m4f4k-rtrej-kxzcf-f6xpw-4x2ar-n53fs-e24xg-nc7wc-8ljex-ckgwn-mk3xc-y6d5s-y6zdp-h5chl-rex8k-5y4cx-f54kd-m98jg-df6hr

27/08/2024

Out now on EP114 of DNA: ID Podcast, the case of Michella Welch

In this episode we cover the conclusion of the Michella Welch case. If you haven’t listened to the Jenni Bastian case, (ep113) please go listen to that one first, as many details about Michella’s case are addressed there. Michella would finally see justice of her own in 2022, nearly 40 years after her murder became inseparably linked to Jenni Bastian’s. And, we talk to Detective Lindsey Wade about her role in solving these cases, and her brilliant book, “In My DNA: My Career Investigating Your Worst Nightmares.”

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/episode114-michella-welch-5mjk-sjlp2-6lrbw-82yxj-m4f4k-rtrej-kxzcf-f6xpw-4x2ar-n53fs-e24xg-nc7wc-8ljex-ckgwn-mk3xc-y6d5s-y6zdp-h5chl-rex8k-5y4cx-f54kd-m98jg-df6hr-nrfmh-6b454-dxb49-jgb2y

19/08/2024

Out now on EP113 of DNA: ID Podcast, the case of Jennifer Bastian Parts 1 & 2

On March 4th, 1986, the unthinkable happened for the Bastian family of Tacoma, WA. Their sweet, energetic and athletic little girl Jenni, age 13, didn’t come home from a bike training session in Point Defiance Park. Police believed Jenni and her bike had been taken from the park by a predator, and the FBI counseled the family to await a ransom call. But the call never came. And when Jenni was found murdered and hidden in a cleverly disguised cave among the brush, her case joined another horrific child murder in being attributed to a child serial killer plaguing Tacoma. Michella Welch had been killed just four months earlier in another Tacoma park, and her case, too, was unsolved. For the next quarter century, Tacoma investigators pursued the child killer who had taken two of Tacoma’s innocents in such brutal fashion. But with the advent of modern DNA testing and analysis came answers – and they were not what anyone was expecting.

Listen to this episode on your favorite podcast app, or listen and share from our website:

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/episode113-jennifer-bastian-parts1and2-5mjk-sjlp2-6lrbw-82yxj-m4f4k-rtrej-kxzcf-f6xpw-4x2ar-n53fs-e24xg-nc7wc-8ljex-ckgwn-mk3xc-y6d5s-y6zdp-h5chl-rex8k-5y4cx-f54kd-m98jg-df6hr-nrfmh-6b454-dxb49

12/08/2024

DNA: ID is back after a short Summer break!!! Check your feeds this coming Monday August 19 for an all new 2 part episode. As always, Patreon supporters and AbJack Insiders will get early ad-free access. To gain access to early, ad-free episodes, be sure to visit one of the following links.

Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/DNAID

AbJack insider through Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/abjack-entertainment/id6462151422?itsct=podcast_box_promote_link

08/08/2024

This newer open source database, searchable by law enforcement for identifying Does or solving violent crimes through IGG, will notify you if your profile is accessed in an investigation! How cool is that!!? Oh, and it has some serious star power (in the IGG world!) behind it! Upload your DNA profile, and maybe you’ll be responsible for closing a case covered on DNA: ID!

A non-profit investigative genetic genealogy database for law enforcement.

01/08/2024

Happy August!! We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! We will be back on August 19th with a brand new episode! Woo hoo!!

02/07/2024

Just remember, DNA: ID is on a brief Summer break. Have a safe & fun 4th of July, and we will see you back here soon. Stay tuned for more details!

24/06/2024

Out now on EP112 of DNA: ID Podcast-
DOE ID: Possible LISK Victims Karen Vergata and Valerie Mack

During the 1990's and 2000's, the remains of several murder victims; mostly female s*x workers, were found on Long Island's beaches. To police it seemed clear that they were the victims of a serial killer, or even more frightening, two serial killers who were dumping victims in the same area. The killer or killers, were given the moniker LISK, or Long Island Serial Killer. Many of the victims were identified, but while police hunted for the killer, they also needed to ID the rest of the victims, and they succeeded finally in identifying two of them; Karen Vergata and Valerie Mack.

Finally, in 2023, an arrest was made following a lengthy investigation of a suspect; architect Rex Heuermann. Searches of his home and vehicles, as well as an extensive investigation, seem to have uncovered a treasure trove of evidence pointing to his involvement in many of the murders. As the suspect awaits his day in court, police continued to try and ID the remaining Doe victims. For now though, Karen Vergata and Valerie Mack have their names back, and this is their story.

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/episode112-doeid-possible-lisk-victims-karen-vergata-valerie-mack-sjlp2-6lrbw-rtrej-kxzcf-f6xpw-4x2ar-n53fs-e24xg-nc7wc-8ljex-ckgwn-mk3xc-y6d5s-y6zdp-h5chl-rex8k-5y4cx-s2dpp-ldm7g-m93t7-abh75-gfr7c

17/06/2024

Out now on Episode 111 of DNA: ID Podcast- Lindy Sue Biechler Parts 1 & 2

The vicious, brutal 1975 stabbing murder of sweet, shy newlywed Lindy Sue Biechler haunted Lancaster, PA. Lindy was stabbed 19 times right inside her front door, and a butcher knife left embedded in her neck, and police couldn’t determine any motive in the case. The 19 year old had no enemies, and no one had seen or heard anything. It was considered the most puzzling unsolved mystery in the area for decades. Then, in 1997, a breakthrough in lab testing hinted at a motive – but not at a suspect. Two decades later, even the powers of forensic genealogy came up short. But in pondering the genealogy, CeCe Moore detected a genetic pattern that she linked to immigration to Lancaster from a specific region in Italy. Fortuitous records of Italian immigrants to Lancaster helped her focus her search. And when she considered these records alongside the phenotype information, she stumbled on a name – someone who had a connection to Lindy. A coffee cup casually thrown into a garbage can at Philadelphia International Airport proved her hunch right, and Lindy’s family had answers at long last.

https://www.abjackentertainment.com/dna-id/episode111-lindy-sue-bichler-parts1and2-5mjk-sjlp2-6lrbw-82yxj-m4f4k-rtrej-kxzcf-f6xpw-4x2ar-n53fs-e24xg-nc7wc-8ljex-ckgwn-mk3xc-y6d5s-y6zdp-h5chl-rex8k-5y4cx-f54kd-m98jg-df6hr-nrfmh-6b454