DNA: ID

About the host:

DNA:ID is hosted by Jessica Bettencourt who co-hosts, co-produces, or writes and researches for other AbJack podcasts including Missing Persons, Scene of the Crime, Campus Killings, and Beyond Bizarre True Crime. She also does research and writing for True Crime Garage.

About the show:

We all hear stories almost daily now about cold cases being solved by investigative genetic genealogy. This new crime-solving tool answers the “who” question about these often decades-old crimes.... but what about the why? This podcast will look at crimes solved by genetic genealogy, and examine the connection - if any - between the victim and the killer, and why the crime occurred. Each case is unique, and has its own story behind the headline. DNA: ID is hosted by Jess Bettencourt, and publishes every other Saturday.

For DNA: ID Merch visit this link

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Latest Episodes

Michael Morford Michael Morford

Episode 141 Doe: ID Evelyn 'Dottie' Lees

On June 28,1988, the remains of a woman were found in a remote area of Pinal County, AZ along state Route 79 South of US 60. The body was found in a shallow grave, and appeared to have been placed there with care leading police to believe that someone close to her may have placed here there. She was determined to be an elderly woman and it appeared that she had been strangled to death. She has been there for about a year. Police were stumped as they didn't have any missing women that matched her description in the area. The case of this Jane Doe went cold until years later when genealogy finally provided answers. She was Evelyn "Dottie" Lees, a grandmother who was in her late 80's when she died.

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Michael Morford Michael Morford

Episode 140 Gayla McNeil

In October 1983, a young homicide detective caught his first case when a woman turned up floating in a canal in Palm Beach County, Florida.  The Jane Doe was a homicide victim, with brutal injuries and evidence of rape.  A complex investigation failed to identify her – but then her fingerprints did.  She was Gayla Ann McNeil, a former US Airforce service member. Detective Bill Springer began a 40 year quest to solve Gayla’s murder – which involved figuring out where she had last been seen and by whom.  It turned out, her last known contact was with law enforcement – and a clerical error may have cost her her life.   

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Michael Morford Michael Morford

Episode 139 Doe: ID 'Wayne County Jane Doe' Connie Christensen

In December, 1982, deer hunters in Wayne County, Indiana, found skeletal remains in the woods along Martindale Creek. When the remains were first found, authorities were unable to tell much about the skeletonized remains other than that they belonged to an adult female. There was no ID found with the remains, but police theorized that they had a homicide on their hands. Later they would be proven right when it was discovered that the victim had died from a gunshot. Police were stumped as they had no missing females in their area that matched the clues that they had for this victim, and the investigation slowed. The unknown homicide victim became known as 'Wayne County Jane Doe'. Years later, DNA & genealogy would be used to finally identify this victim. Her name was Connie L. Christensen, and she had last been seen by her family in March, 1982, when she dropped her young daughter off with family saying that she was leaving the area. Connie was believed to have been pregnant when she was last seen by her family. Subsequent investigation revealed that Connie spent time in Nashville, TN, in April, 1982. After that, she vanished. An older man that had a relationship with Connie is a suspect in her murder. Unfortunately, this suspect has passed away, and perhaps took anything he knew about Connie's death to his grave. Although Wayne County Jane Doe's killer has never been brought to justice, she at least has her name back; it's Connie Christensen, and this is her story. 

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