Genetic Genealogist
Definition
A specialist who combines DNA match data with traditional genealogical record research to reconstruct family trees. In forensic IGG casework, the genetic genealogist converts partial database matches into a candidate pool for law-enforcement investigation.
- Field
- Investigative genetic genealogy (IGG)
- Input
- DNA match data plus genealogical records
- Output
- Candidate suspect pool for investigation
- Notable case type
- Cold-case identification, e.g. Golden State Killer
Common questions
What databases do genetic genealogists typically use in forensic casework?+
They commonly use consumer genealogy databases that permit law-enforcement matching, such as GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA, building family trees from DNA segments shared with relatives of an unknown subject.
Is a genetic genealogist's output treated as conclusive identification?+
No, it produces investigative leads pointing to candidate individuals, and law enforcement must still confirm identity through a direct confirmatory DNA comparison before it can be used as evidence.
What ethical concerns surround this kind of work?+
Concerns include informed consent from database participants for law-enforcement matching, the privacy of relatives who never opted in, and the varying opt-in policies each platform sets for investigative use.
Related terms
- Barbara Rae-Venter
- The genetic genealogist who led the family-tree reconstruction in the Golden State Killer investigation. Previously used the same technique to identify an...
- Centimorgans (cM)
- The unit of genetic map distance used to measure shared DNA between individuals. A first-degree relative shares approximately 2,550 cM; a third...
- CODIS
- The FBI's Combined DNA Index System, the US national STR-based forensic DNA database. Contains profiles from convicted offenders, arrestees, and unidentified crime-scene...
- ForenSeq Kintelligence
- A Verogen (formerly Illumina) forensic SNP genotyping kit targeting approximately 10,000 kinship-informative SNPs, designed to generate profiles compatible with consumer genealogy databases...
- GEDmatch
- A consumer genealogy database founded in 2010, used in the Golden State Killer investigation. Changed from opt-out to opt-in for law-enforcement access...
- Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG)
- A forensic identification technique that uploads a crime-scene DNA profile to a consumer genealogy database, identifies partial matches suggesting distant family relationships,...
- Opt-in Policy
- The GEDmatch policy adopted in May 2019 requiring database users to affirmatively consent for their profile to be visible in law-enforcement queries,...
- Parabon NanoLabs
- A US company that became the primary commercial provider of forensic IGG casework following the Golden State Killer case, offering the Snapshot...
- Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP)
- A position in the genome where a single nucleotide varies between individuals. Consumer DTC genomic tests genotype hundreds of thousands of SNPs;...