Investigative genetic genealogy and artificial intelligence are giving detectives new ways to identify suspects, analyse evidence and solve long-unsolved murders, although privacy concerns and funding shortages remain significant challenges.
Advances in DNA analysis and artificial intelligence are helping law enforcement agencies solve cold cases that have remained unresolved for decades, offering new hope to victims’ families and investigators.
One such case involved Randy Gail Sperino, a 34-year-old woman who was last seen on the evening of 9 November 1993, getting into a pickup truck in Granite City, Illinois. Hours later, her body was discovered in a nearby field. She had died from blunt force trauma.
Despite extensive investigations, authorities were unable to identify her killer. DNA recovered from the crime scene was compared against conventional law enforcement databases, but no matches were found.
For the next three decades, detectives from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office pursued leads and interviewed hundreds of people. The case appeared destined to remain among the more than 250,000 unsolved homicides in the United States.
That changed last year when investigators turned to Othram, a Houston-based forensic technology company specialising in DNA analysis for criminal investigations and unidentified human remains.
Inspired by investigative genetic genealogy, the technique used to identify Golden State Killer Joseph James DeAngelo in 2018, detectives hoped that DNA evidence could reveal connections that conventional forensic testing had missed.
How genetic genealogy identifies suspects
Traditional forensic DNA testing generally involves comparing genetic material recovered from a crime scene with the profile of a known individual. Investigative genetic genealogy takes a different approach by identifying genetic relatives of an unknown person and using those relationships to construct family trees.
The technique became widely known following the identification of DeAngelo, whose distant relatives had submitted genetic information to commercial genealogy databases.
In Sperino’s case, Othram used DNA evidence and profiles from extended relatives to identify a male family member who could provide a crucial lead.
According to Captain Tim Lawrence of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, that discovery helped investigators focus their search on Albert “Buddy” Zigler, now 70. Police say Zigler confessed to the murder, and he was charged in May.
Sperino’s son, Wes, said the development had finally given him a sense of closure after years of uncertainty.
Othram chief executive David Mittelman compares the process to a GPS system. DNA provides a signal indicating a person’s genetic connections, while public records, obituaries and census information help investigators build a map of the family relationships.
By examining those connections, forensic specialists can narrow down potential identities even when the suspect’s DNA is not directly available in a database.
However, Mittelman stresses that genetic analysis is only the beginning. Investigators must still carry out extensive enquiries to establish identities, verify evidence and build a case.
Othram says its technology has contributed to solving thousands of cases, including investigations involving unidentified remains and long-unsolved crimes.
AI helps detectives process thousands of records
DNA technology was not the only innovation that helped investigators revisit Sperino’s murder. Artificial intelligence also played a role by helping detectives organise decades of accumulated evidence.
Investigators used Centerline AI, a platform developed by Florida-based software company CentralSquare, to examine more than 2,000 pages of case records.
The system helped reconstruct timelines, organise witness accounts and identify information relevant to further DNA testing.
Lawrence said the technology made it significantly easier to review extensive documentation, allowing detectives to interact with the platform in a conversational format rather than manually reading every page.
AI also assisted investigators after Zigler was identified. Detectives could query the system to help assess information and prepare for questioning, including examining whether his statements were consistent with the available evidence.
Nevertheless, Lawrence emphasised that technology cannot replace investigative judgement or direct police work.
He said the effectiveness of AI depends heavily on the investigator using it. Once the technology has helped identify promising leads, detectives must still locate people, conduct interviews and establish what happened.
The case illustrates how combining forensic science with digital tools can make previously overwhelming investigations more manageable.
DNA technology has limits
Despite its growing success, investigative genetic genealogy cannot be applied to every case.
The method depends on having usable DNA evidence. Where no biological material is available, investigators cannot use the technique to identify genetic relatives.
Even when DNA is recovered, results depend on the quality of the sample and the availability of relevant genetic information in databases.
Mittelman argues that genetic genealogy can provide a much stronger route to identifying suspects than relying solely on the possibility of finding a direct match in conventional databases.
However, the approach raises important ethical questions about genetic privacy.
Although companies such as Othram use genealogy platforms where users have consented to law enforcement matching, concerns remain about the implications for relatives who have not agreed to their genetic information being used in criminal investigations.
Denise Syndercombe Court, a professor of forensic genetics at King’s College London, said privacy was a significant concern because one person’s decision to share their DNA could potentially expose information about other family members.
The issue highlights the tension between using powerful forensic tools to solve serious crimes and protecting individuals’ genetic privacy.
Funding remains a major obstacle
Financial constraints are also limiting the adoption of investigative genetic genealogy.
Mittelman says many law enforcement agencies are interested in the technology but lack sufficient funding to use it consistently. Some investigations depend on donations or crowdfunding to cover the costs.
Othram operates a website through which members of the public can contribute to funding selected cases.
The technology has already been adopted in countries including Sweden, Denmark and Australia, but it is not currently used in the United Kingdom.
The UK Home Office is studying whether investigative genetic genealogy should be introduced, although it did not respond to a request for comment on the issue.
Syndercombe Court argues that the UK already has a highly effective national DNA database. She estimates that when DNA can be recovered from a crime scene, there is more than a 65% chance of identifying the individual through existing systems.
That capability provides a strong foundation for conventional forensic investigations, although genetic genealogy could potentially offer another route in cases where standard database searches fail.
A new tool for solving old crimes
The growing use of DNA genealogy and AI reflects a broader transformation in criminal investigations, where advances in data analysis are allowing detectives to revisit evidence that once appeared to offer no further answers.
Genetic genealogy can reveal relationships that investigators would struggle to establish through conventional testing, while AI can help organise extensive records and identify connections across large volumes of information.
Neither technology guarantees a breakthrough. Both depend on the quality of available evidence, careful interpretation and the work of investigators who can verify leads and establish facts.
But the case of Randy Gail Sperino demonstrates how new analytical methods can revive investigations that have remained unresolved for decades, potentially bringing answers to families who have spent years waiting to learn what happened to their loved ones.
