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A28    SCIENCE
                  Saturday 28 april 2018
             A look at DNA testing that ID'd a suspected serial killer




            By MICHAEL BALSAMO                                        tied  him  to  the  DNA  evi-  by any third party.        the  forensics  community.
             Associated Press                                         dence.                       ___                          Typically  with  the  method,
            Joseph  James  DeAngelo,                                  Authorities  did  not  iden-  HAS  THIS  EVER  BEEN  DONE  investigators  search  law
            who  authorities  suspect  is                             tify  the  DNA  websites  that  BEFORE?                   enforcement     databases
            the so-called Golden State                                were used.                   The  issue  of  law  enforce-  to identify likely relatives of
            Killer responsible for at least                           ___                          ment  comparing  DNA  to  the person who may have
            a  dozen  murders  and  50                                IS THAT LEGAL?               samples  in  genealogical  committed the crime.
            rapes in the 1970s and 80s,                               Ancestry.com  and  23and-    databases  garnered  na-     Critics say that familial DNA
            was  arrested  more  than                                 Me, two of the largest com-  tional   attention   several  testing  allows  for  searches
            three  decades  after  the                                panies  that  produce  ge-   years ago when a New Or-     of  innocent  people  who
            last  killing  with  the  help  of                        netic profiles for customers  leans  filmmaker  was  iden-  happen  to  be  related  to
            information from an online                                who provide DNA samples,  tified  in  an  Idaho  murder  someone     suspected    of
            genealogical  site.  Investi-                             say  they  don't  cooperate  based  on  a  DNA  sample  committing a crime or oth-
            gators  haven't  disclosed                                with  law  enforcement  un-  that  his  father  had  given  erwise  provided  their  DNA
            many  key  elements  about   This undated law enforcement   less  they  receive  a  court  years earlier.           for inclusion in a database.
            how and why they took this   photo provided by the Sacra-  order.                      As  part  of  a  church-spon-  Law  enforcement  officials
                                         mento County, Calif., Sheriff's
            very unusual step to find a   Office  shows  Joseph  James   Both  said  Thursday  they  sored  genealogy  project,  have  argued  the  tech-
            suspect.                     DeAngelo.                    did not receive a court or-  the  man's  father  had  pro-  nique  can  provide  investi-
            Here's  a  look  at  the  case           Associated Press  der  in  the  DeAngelo  case  vided  his  DNA,  which  was  gators with valuable leads.
            and some of the questions                                 and were not otherwise in-   later sold to Ancestry.com.  In 2008, California became
            surrounding it:              DeAngelo  after  determin-   volved.                      The company was required  the first state in the country
            HOW      DID   AUTHORITIES  ing  one  of  his  relatives  Ancestry.com  has  said  it  to  identify  the  man  to  po-  to  authorize  the  testing.  It
            IDENTIFY HIM?                whose genetic information  hasn't  received  any  such  lice after receiving a court  since  has  been  used  in  at
            The  Sacramento  County  was on the site was a famil-     requests  for  genetic  infor-  order.  But  he  was  eventu-  least eight other states.
            district attorney's office said  ial match for the DNA from  mation  in  the  last  three  ally  cleared  after  his  DNA  The  method  led  to  the  ar-
            Thursday  DNA  from  one  the crime scene.                years.                       didn't match the evidence  rest  of  Lonnie  Franklin  Jr.
            of  the  crime  scenes  was  They  then  set  up  surveil-  A  23andMe  spokesman  at the crime scene.              in  the  Los  Angeles  "Grim
            checked  against  genetic  lance at DeAngelo's home  said  the  company  "has  ___                                  Sleeper"  serial  killings  from
            profiles  from  genealogical  in Citrus Heights, California,  never given customer infor-  WHAT IS THE DNA TEST THAT  1985  to  2007.  Los  Angeles
            websites  that  collect  DNA  just  outside  Sacramento  mation to law enforcement  INVESTIGATORS  USED  IN  County sheriff's officials also
            samples  to  help  people  and  collected  two  "dis-     officials"  and  that  their  THAT CASE?                  used it last year to solve the
            learn  about  their  family  carded DNA samples" from  platform  doesn't  allow  for  The technique is known as  decades-old  killing  of  the
            backgrounds.                 him.  One  didn't  contain  the comparison of genetic  familial  DNA  testing  and  it  ex-wife of Righteous Broth-
            Authorities  zeroed  in  on  enough DNA but the other  data  that  was  processed  has  raised  ethical  issues  in  ers singer Bill Medley.q
            EU moves to full ban on pesticides that harm bees




                                                                                                   By RAF CASERT                "beacon of hope for bees.
                                                                                                   Associated Press             Finally our governments are
                                                                                                   BRUSSELS (AP) — The Euro-    listening."
                                                                                                   pean  Union  made  a  key  Over the past several years,
                                                                                                   breakthrough  on  Friday  to  there's  been  an  alarming
                                                                                                   completely ban pesticides  drop  in  bee  populations
                                                                                                   that  harm  bees  and  their  and  there  were  fears  it
                                                                                                   crop pollination.            would  start  to  seriously  af-
                                                                                                   The  28  member  states  got  fect crop production since
                                                                                                   a large majority, represent-  bees are necessary for the
                                                                                                   ing some three-quarters of  spread of pollen and repro-
                                                                                                   its population, backing the  duction.
                                                                                                   ban on the three prevalent  The EU says it used a scien-
                                                                                                   neonicotinoid    pesticides  tific review to identify pesti-
                                                                                                   which will take effect at the  cides as one of the factors
                                                                                                   end of the year. The deci-   causing  the  decline  along
                                                                                                   sion builds on a limited ban  with  disease  and  climate
                                                                                                   which  has  been  in  effect  change among others.
              This Jan. 28, 2014 file photo shows a hive of honeybees on display at the Vermont Beekeeping   since 2013.        Swiss  agribusiness  com-
             Supply booth at the annual Vermont Farm Show at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction,   Antonia Staats of the Avaaz  pany  Syngenta  called  the
             Vt.                                                                                   campaign group called it a  decision     "disappointing"
                                                                                  Associated Press                              and added that "evidence
                                                                                                                                clearly  shows  that  neonic-
                                                                                                                                otinoids  pose  a  minimum
                                                                                                                                threat to bee health com-
                                                                                                                                pared to a lack of food, dis-
                                                                                                                                eases and cold weather."
                                                                                                                                Others disagree.
                                                                                                                                The  European  Commission
                                                                                                                                is set to adopt the decision
                                                                                                                                in the next few weeks and
                                                                                                                                the  ban  will  kick  in  by  the
                                                                                                                                end of the year.q
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