Don’t Expect Golden State Killer Cases From NIH Research Data

The genealogy techniques used to catch the alleged Golden State Killer couldn’t be used on any DNA samples in the National Institutes of Health’s million-person study to develop targeted treatments.

Authorities arrested Joseph James DeAngelo on April 24 in connection with a dozen deaths and about 50 rapes in the 1970s and 1980s, after comparing DNA collected from the crime scenes with online genetic profiles.

After news broke of DeAngelo’s arrest, Eric Dishman said the National Institutes of Health fielded questions from “participants, politicians, and reporters alike” about the potential use of these genetic samples in criminal cases. “That would ...