DNA: ID
About the host; Jess Bettencourt:
Jess, a cum laude graduate of Georgetown Law School, practiced law for many years, but then decided to follow her passion for true crime. She now researches, writes, hosts and co-produces every episode of DNA: ID, the only podcast about cold case homicides and John and Jane Doe identifications solved by IGG. She also writes, hosts, and co-produces Missing Persons with Mike Morford. Her resume includes writing and co-producing Scene of the Crime; writing Season 1 of Campus Killings; and ghost 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 Monday.
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Latest Episodes
Episode 175 Doe ID: 'Charlotte Walmart John Doe' Kenneth McCarthy
In 2016, a John Doe was found behind a WalMart in Charlotte, NC. With no identification and very few personal possessions, he remained unidentified, known only as Charlotte WalMart John Doe. When a cold case detective took a class on IGG analysis, he applied the new technique to Charlotte WalMart John Doe’s case, and found relatives who had been looking for him for 12 years. This is the story of Kenneth Robert McCarthy.
Episode 174 Barbara Villarreal Parts 1 & 2
In this Season 6 opener, you’ll hear the jaw-dropping, twisty case of Barbara Carr Villarreal. Barbara was stabbed to death in her Garland, TX home in 1986. Her husband was also attacked in the home invasion. But stories and evidence did not match up, and police were left chasing their tails, and chasing their prime suspect who was in the wind. Nothing in this case was as it seemed to be, and justice for Barbara seemed unattainable. Modern investigators had to solve an identity theft case to find the true name of the person they believed was behind Barbara’s murder, and then had to use kinship testing to finally name her murderer.
Episode 167 2025 The Year In Review
In the final episode of 2025, we recap the fascinating cases we've covered in 2025, as well as provide updates to past cases.
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