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Familial DNA Testing Nabs Alleged Serial Killer

cremeglace writes "A quarter-century of conventional detective work failed to track down the killer responsible for the deaths of at least 10 young women in south Los Angeles dating back to the mid-1980s. But a discarded piece of pizza and a relatively new method of DNA testing has finally cracked the case, police announced last week. On July 7, L.A. police arrested Lonnie Franklin Jr., 57, a former garage attendant and sanitation worker they suspect is the serial killer nicknamed the 'Grim Sleeper.' The key evidence? A match between crime-scene DNA and the suspect's son, obtained by a search through the state's data bank of DNA collected from 1.3 million convicted felons."

2 of 258 comments (clear)

  1. Why don't they find the serial killer gene instead by elucido · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Why don't they find the serial killer gene instead

    It makes more sense to me to find the gene that produces serial killers and cure it while it's in the fetus stage rather than wait until the serial killers become adults and genetically profile and scan everyone.

    We have figured out at least some of the genes responsible for violent tendencies. Why not figure out if it's possible to shut these genes off in mice and work from there?

    Sources:
    http://discovermagazine.com/2006/apr/violence psychiatric genetics

  2. Re:Why don't they find the serial killer gene inst by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Yes, I agree with you. It should be an easy task if they start by looking near the gene of being american.