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 182 Sandra Lison Parts 1 & 2
Sandra Lison, a single mom of two, was abducted from a Green Bay, WI bar around 2:00 a.m. on a summer night in 1987. She was found raped and murdered many miles away just days later. A very complex investigation revealed some early suspects who placed themselves in police crosshairs – and they were eventually tried and convicted. But that is not the end of Sandra’s story, which is a true testament to the mighty powers of IGG not only to identify the guilty, but to exonerate the innocent.
Episode 181 Doe ID: Donna Lass
In 1986, a human skull was found along Highway 20 and Interstate 80, 45 miles northwest of South Lake Tahoe, CA. At the time, investigators couldn't come to many conclusions other than the fact the skull belonged to a young woman, likely in her 20s, and she had been murdered. Years later DNA & genealogy would finally reveal the truth; the skull belonged to Donna Ann Lass, a 25 year-old nurse who vanished on September 6,1970 after finishing her shift at the Sahara Hotel Casino. An unknown man called Donna's employer to tell her Donna had left town for a family emergency, which turned out not to be true. Donna Lass was never seen again. It didn't take long for an infamous serial killer, 'The Zodiac', to seemingly latch himself to Donna's case, possibly providing clues, and taunting investigators. For decades, Zodiac's possible involvement muddied the waters in the Lass investigation. All these years later, we may know what happened to Donna, but we don't know who was responsible.
Episode 180 Audrey Hoellein Parts 1 & 2
The 1994 murder of Audrey Hoellein on her bed in her Vancouver, WA apartment led to a very complex investigation with a large number of suspects. The case relied heavily on forensic testing, which found the DNA of two men on Audrey’s comforter. Investigators could identify only one of them, and he was, for a time, the prime suspect. But it was the unidentified one – “Individual A” – whom the police zeroed in on. Once IGG identified him, and authorities started to put together their case against him, it opened a whole can of worms. The ending is not what you would expect.