I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever by Barbara Rae-Venter

I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever Reviews

• 
  Dee

  4.5 stars rounded down for this riveting N/F written by the woman who got the Golden State Killer in just 63 days using investigative genetic genealogy, after a multi-decades long and fruitless investigation had stalled out. The author is very self-effacing and seems quite genuine. I consider this one part of the “GSK Trilogy” with M. McNamara’s “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” & Paul Hole’s “Unmasked”, both so great, before it.
  
• 
  Nathan Dylan Goodwin

  I Know Who You Are chronicles Barbara Rae-Venter’s extraordinary journey from being a retired patent attorney, who began volunteering as a search angel for adoptees in 2014, to being named by Nature journal as one of ‘Ten People Who Mattered in Science in 2018’ and the Time 100 list of the most influential people of the same year. What earned her these prestigious titles was her ground-breaking work in identifying the Golden State Killer, using investigative genetic genealogy.
  This book is Rae-Venter’s personal account of the twists and turns that her life has taken her from childhood in New Zealand through to beyond her identification of one of the United States’ most notorious, unsolved, serial killer cases. The route to solving this case, along with several others documented in the book, was by no means inevitable, although Rae-Venter’s innate inquisitiveness and desire to find solutions to difficult problems was on display from a very young age, something her mother referred to as her ‘grasshopper mind’. Ever since being a young girl, Rae-Venter admitted that she had ‘a tendency to examine issues from seemingly strange angles until I found a novel way to resolve them.’ It was this tenacity and unique view on seemingly unresolvable problems that ultimately led to her cracking her first criminal case, that of finding the real identity of a woman who had been kidnapped as a young girl and recovered around the age of five.
  In 2015, Rae-Venter was approached by an investigator, named Detective Headley, who had spent several years working on the case of Lisa Jensen, a girl molested and tortured by her abductor and who had ostensibly been left a ‘Living Jane Doe.’ Rae-Venter set about using the investigative genetic genealogy skills that she had acquired as a search angel helping adoptees to find their biological parents. Working pro-bono and often having to purchase her own DNA kits for the case, Rae-Venter and her small team put what she estimated to have been twenty thousand hours into identifying who Lisa Jensen really was. DNA revealed the answer, just as Rae-Venter knew that it would. ‘With enough time and skill, I began to believe, any case with available DNA evidence could be solved.’ In 2016, after many years of searching, Lisa Jensen finally learned her name, date of birth and who her biological family really were.
  Although the case was closed, Detective Headley was not finished with Rae-Venter’s redoubtable services and asked her to apply investigative genetic genealogy to help identify the ‘Allenstown Four’ or the ‘Bear Brook Park quadruple-murder’ as it was also known. This case started out complicated because the DNA for the four victims—who had been dismembered, wrapped in plastic and interred in metal barrels—had significantly degraded. Prior to her agreeing to take on the case, no usable DNA samples had been collected, despite repeated attempts. Once again, Rae-Venter’s ability to view a seemingly unresolvable problem from a unique angle was called into play. Having heard of a ground-breaking new technique of extracting DNA from a rootless hair follicle, which had previously been considered impossible, Rae-Venter approached Professor Green, the scientist behind the discovery, and asked if he could generate a DNA profile for the four victims. After a lot of experimentation and trials, Rae-Venter was able to upload a useable profile to GEDmatch and Family Tree DNA.
  Once again, after many hours of dedicated work, Rae-Venter and her team came to a partial resolution of the case: three out of the four victims were identified, allowing for them to be buried properly under their own names. But this resolution came with a shocking connection to the Lisa Jensen case.
  Rae-Venter’s string of successes began to generate excited chatter among cold-case detectives around the country, who began to see the potential of investigative genetic genealogy as a major game-changer in solving cases which were thought to be unsolvable. One of the detectives who came to learn of this new technique was one Paul Holes who had spent twenty-two years trying to crack one of the most notorious cold cases in the United States: the Golden State Killer. Responsible for at least thirteen murders, fifty rapes and one hundred burglaries over twelve years, the Golden State Killer had gone undetected since his last known victim in 1986. As Rae-Venter said of his inhumanity, ‘The monster destroyed all that was good and decent and normal. And, of course, he ended lives in cruel and godless ways.’
  Without needing much persuasion, in March 2017, she agreed to join ‘Team Justice’ and set about training the small group of investigators in the application and methodology of investigative genetic genealogy. But the path to identification was not an easy one: when she joined the team, all of the Golden State Killer’s accessible DNA samples had been fruitlessly used up in successive scientific testing advancements over the years; and Rae-Venter also suffered with some serious health issues of her own that initially kept her away from the case. Eventually, a usable DNA sample was found and, in February 2018, a profile was uploaded to GEDmatch and Family Tree DNA, which produced the killer’s admixture, phenotype and a match list of cousins which Rae-Venter and the rest of Team Justice could begin to use to build the Golden State Killer’s family tree. The task was long and arduous but eventually, following a high DNA match at MyHeritage (prior to the terms of service amendments), the team had whittled the suspect list down to just six men. Some of the suspects appeared on paper more likely to be the killer than others but, as Rae-Venter says, ‘You must always ask: What is the DNA telling me?’ The DNA was telling her that the killer’s phenotype was a definite match for one man on the suspect list: Joseph James DeAngelo. But the DNA still had more work to do to prove this unequivocally.
  Investigators took two samples of surreptitious DNA from DeAngelo and compared it to the crime-scene DNA. The results were conclusive: ‘Beyond any shred of doubt, scientific or otherwise, Joseph James DeAngelo was the Golden State Killer.’
  Rae-Venter goes on to describe the aftermath of the case, including the trial and sentencing, both of which she was invited to attend. The book also deals with the psychological impact of this case and others on her understanding of human nature. She confesses that it has been challenged and ultimately changed. But her passion for helping people through her own unique view of the world remains unbroken. ‘Whenever I start work on a new case, I always have the same thought: I want to solve this case. I want to solve all cases. Give me enough time, and I will solve them all.’
  This book by Barbara Rae-Venter is highly recommended. The complexities of investigative genetic genealogy are masterfully explained through a series of case studies. Her dedication and commitment to providing identities to nameless victims, to reunite biological families and to solve rape and murder cases decades cold is matched by her undoubted and unswerving compassion. In her words, and I feel exactly the same, investigative genetic genealogy ‘is about helping people.’
  
• 
  Bon

  What a fascinating and touching book. I even learned a bit about how to approach continuing to fill out my own casual family tree online.
• 
  Sarah Stevens

  Damnnnnnn this book is amazing. As someone who has loved true crime and science for ages, this book hits the spot. For those of you that don't know, Barbara is one of the coolest human beings. I first learned about her work with Paul Holes on the Golden State Killer case. I became obsessed with the idea of using genetic genealogy in order to close unsolved murders. Then, like many others, I became hooked on the Bear Brook podcast, curious about the identity of the woman and children in the barrels. Little did I know at the time, that case was ALSO solved by Barbara's ingenuity!
  
  This woman is behind solving some of the coldest cases imaginable. Barbara shares her experiences solving these high profile cases, as well as more personal stories. I also love that she focuses on smaller, lesser known cases, such as tracking down birth parents. The use of genetic genealogy opens so many doors.
  
  Yes, this book does talk quite a bit about the science of DNA and genetics. If you are unfamiliar with SNPs or genetic assays, the science parts might throw you off at first. However, Barbara does a great job of explaining these complicated ideas in a way that does make sense. As well, I was completely unfamiliar with genealogy, but Barbara's explanations of the research helped me understand.
  
  I highly, highly, highly recommend this book to anyone who loves true crime and science. If you were a fan of Michelle McNamara's "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" or Paul Hole's "Unmasked", you will enjoy this book.
• 
  Dawn Michelle

  Having read Michelle McNamara's book "I'll Be Gone in the Dark" and then just this past December reading Edward Humes' book "The Forever Witness" [<--THIS book was amazing and I highly recommend it], in which I learned the authors name for the first time, I knew I had to read this the minute I saw it. In looking stuff up, I found that one of the investigators in the GSK case, Paul Holes, has ALSO written a book and now that one is on my list. Yes, I tend to go down rabbit-holes and hard. LOL
  
  I cannot say anything here that other [better] reviewers have not already said - it is truly an amazing book. Even the stuff I didn't understand [and there was A LOT I didn't understand] was amazing as the author breaks the whole DNA process down [this said, this is actually not a hard book to read - she writes in such a way that most people will get what she is saying; I have a learning disability that makes processing sciencey {and maths} stuff more difficult than it is for most people and even I got *MOST* of what she was saying. There were moments though where I was completely lost and had to just move on]. That [because it is something I am used to] did not take away from the book for me though; I was still in awe of all that the author [and others] can do with DNA and how she and a dedicated team solved the GSK cold case and others [the Lisa story will bring you to tears and I cannot even talk about the "Boy under the Billboard" without breaking into tears and am then unable to continue], and the parts about the GSK and his plea deal and sentencing was gripping - I cannot even imagine what his victims and victims families were feeling; relief yes, but oh so much more. Even the author admits to having trouble adjusting after all that is finished.
  
  For me, all of this was amazing and thought-provoking and anger inducing [WHO chooses to NOT want to help find killers?? Seriously?] and [weird as this is to say] I enjoyed every bit of this [seeing bad guys get caught, people finding their true names and the dead finally honored makes for riveting and enjoyable reading] but for me, it is the last chapter that really got me. A chapter about what constitutes home [something I struggle with] and it was a very profound way to end an already profound read.
  
  Well done. I highly recommend this.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley, Barbara Rae-Venter [and her amazing teams that help do all this fantastic work], and Random House Publishing Group/Ballentine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Elisha

  I Know Who You Are
  By Barbara Rae-Venter
  Review and Rating 4 ⭐️
  
  I Know Who You Are by Barbara Rae-Venter is the story of (as the book cover says) how an amateur DNA sleuth unmasked the Golden State Killer and changed crime fighting forever. But it is really more than that. It tells how Dr. Rae-Venter, a former genetic genealogist and patent attorney became interested and ultimately started working with law enforcement to solve cold cases. She explains how she helped solve her early cases using little more than a DNA sample and thousands of hours of genetic genealogy work to eventually become the leading authority on the process.
  The Golden State Killer case is covered and is very interesting. The way it was solved was actually not in the way I had thought from what I had heard from media and social media.
  Of course, the use of DNA data from databases such as Ancestry and 23andMe is covered and the questions we face are raised. Is it ethical to use this data to solve crimes, do they have the right to the data, what are the potential drawbacks?
  I really liked this book as a true crime reader and science lover. Although some of the terms and processes were tedious, Dr. Rae-Venter does a good job of explaining everything as she goes along. 4⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️
  
  I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Barbara Rae-Venter, and Net Galley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. #IKnowWhoYouAre #NetGalley.
  
  
  Book Rating Key
  ⭐️ Not Recommended
  ⭐️⭐️ Readable Book
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good Book
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent Book
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Near Perfect Book
  ***Note*** I seldom give ⭐️or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ratings. If I feel a book is a ⭐️sometimes I just prefer to not finish reading it and not rate it. As for 5 ⭐️books, I think of those as books I would want to take with me to a deserted island 🏝️, and this means I read a whole lot of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️star books. Happy Reading!
• 
  Nikki

  Trigger warning: this book discusses disturbing violence, rape and other upsetting topics.
  
  A fascinating account of how Investigative Genetic Geneology was used to catch the Golden State Killer. I wondered if this would be slightly redundant since I had previously read "I'll be gone in the dark" by Michelle McNamara, but it was not. Barbara Rae-Venter discusses a variety of other cold cases that she helped solve using genetics and creating extensive family trees. It's mind-boggling! She has retired from her career as a patent attorney, but she clearly has developed a second career (originally a hobby) in helping adoptees find their biological families and cracking cold cases. The psychological toll this must take on her and similar IGG specialists must be hard to grapple with, but she does sound as though she gets an immense sense of satisfaction when a case is solved.
  
  I also am tremendously appreciative that she shared that she has ADHD and that this element of her being a neuro-divergent thinker is probably one reason why she's good at this. Clearly, she uses her hyperfocus, non-linear thinking, and fantastic memory/recall of details to help her succeed.
  
  When the GSK case was initially solved she asked to remain anonymous for fear of her own safety. Years later her son encouraged her to come forward and get some recognition for what she had accomplished in that particular case and I'm so glad that she did! She provides enough scientific detail in her book without getting too far in the weeds and she also provides thoughtful arguments about why law enforcement should continue to have access to Direct to Consumer DNA databases in the interest of solving violent crimes. I know that using commercial DNA sites to catch the GSK was controversial (and remains so), but no one can argue that that wasn't a good use of the resource since it succeeded, identified a true monster, and put him in jail.
• 
  Maria

  The genetic genealogist who helped identify the Golden State Killer (GSK) tells her part in the final solution to bringing a cold case fugitive to justice. I enjoyed her writing style and the crime cases she assisted with, but the last fifth of the book was more about her personal life which I feel detracted from the main focus: DNA crime solving. That said, she brings to light the ethical issues of DNA sharing but also asserts her belief in its overall value. For true crime enthusiasts.
• 
  Wendy

  An interesting look at the science of genetic genealogy and how its forensic applications are evolving to help solve cold cases. Stories and science explained from the perspective of an unexpected pioneer in the field, Barbara Rae-Venter, who helped track down some serious bad guys with DNA.
• 
  Jennifer

  Using DNA and genealogy to solve cold cases is fascinating stuff.
• 
  Heather Fineisen

  A fascinating look into genetic testing and its role in catching killers. True crime readers will want to pick this up. The author explains the process, which gets a little technical, and then uses various cases to show how the process of genetic testing works. Also introduces the controversy of using family trees for what it was not intended for and the right to privacy. An interesting and suspenseful read.
  
  Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley
• 
  Paige Scott

  Having read I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and Unmasked, I was really looking forward to a third perspective of the Golden State Killer apprehension and conviction. So many people had been looking for this man for decades, it is truly amazing to read all the different perspectives because I feel like separately, he still could be out there. It was everyone coming together and putting all the clues together that ultimately led to the apprehension of this serial
• 
  Jeanette

  Outstanding in more than just pure knowledge taught. Absolutely one of the best non-fiction books I've read in the last 5 years. In that category of ALL non-fiction- this would be in the top 3 for the last 20 years.
  
  Exact and precise writing which gives clear and chronological progressions. Not only to her "hobby" but to the events and processes which contain the purposes and steps of inquiry which will result in a triangulation of data which will lead to the MRCA in a DNA content study. MRCA is the Most Recent Common Ancestor. When this person has been plotted, you are THEN able through records and other research (some of it is tech biological based too) to go downwards through the generations of descendants to place the possible DNA matches.
  
  First you will need to find 2, 3, or even better- possibly 4 DNA match relatives of snips- SNP profiles. It is reflected in a count of compatible DNA to a degree in language that can be expressed in numbers of "alike". Now I know what all those cm decimals mean. Barbara Rae-Venter can do this for a baby completely abandoned/ unknown- dead or alive. From 50 years ago or last week. For adopted humans of every age wanting to know their birth names or parents etc. But even more, for any number of reasons for living humans who want to know their histories, when most have a complete blank. Or to solve closure of missing persons' identities for those they have left behind, never knowing their outcomes.
  
  She is brilliant. Has a "grasshopper mind" which surrounds inquiry and knowing to detail of depth. She will continue and continue until ALL that can be known will be known. That she eventually got embedded within the criminal justice system by happenstance is no surprise. NONE. That this came out of retirement whimsy time spent, this doesn't surprise me at all either.
  
  This book is a high recommendation for ALL. Read it. She writes as well as she thinks. And if you are not a science buff in any sense, MORE SO- read this. Barbara spent most of her adult life as a biological product patent lawyer. Most of it in Texas and CA. BUT- she was born in New Zealand.
  
  Fabulous book. This is not just about the case mentioned in the title. There are 5 or 6 other criminal inquiries detailed to a T. All of them from inquiries done from 2015 until today. Most of which are between 15 and 35 or 40 years old cases of unknown victims. She has even deciphered the original name of a 150 plus year old 2 year old found in an air tight casket (buried in the 1870's) while a house was being built.
  
  She has help now. Mostly doing internet searches to the people in the "count down and locale" that are possible descendant paths. And always had at least 10 different sites to peruse and search and download and combine to "eliminate" or "must be" paths. She also has aides as of this current last 2 years who do internet, obituary, leg searches on geographic locations or telephone work for her now. Paul Holes is just one of the names for the 5 or 6 main law enforcement keys who have roped her into doing what she does- FOR THEM. The top three are now retired. Each doing their last "close" after up to 40 years of searching and never finding their perpetrators. I've read books by 3 to 4 of these associates but NONE OF THEM can write. Barbara can write too.
  
  Barbara has chapters on ethics. Magnificent. We are in the "Wild West" right now for being able to do some of these cross cut searches. GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA questions? Ancestry or 23 and Me? Read this, please. She actually has changed my mind about some very key permissions. We do have rights of privacy, for sure. But we do not have rights of invisibility? We are who we are. And we shed cells endlessly which state exactly who we are.
  
  Now DNA snips can be produced from hair shaft. One or two of her solves are hair shaft only at the beginning. The Boy under the Billboard story is 6 stars. There WERE people waiting for him to come home.
  
  Because I read of the women in the metal barrels before from the other side of law- this FINALLY made me understand how the man with 25 different names who killed all of them was established. And the outcome.
  
  She was so pivotal that she has been given dozens of honors. Her system devised through logic and practice has become now more copied. She gives praise and acknowledgment to all who are connected with her 1000's and 1000's of hours process. And deems that it has changed her too- since she never saw the depth of "bad" like this before in her life.
  
  She is a saint for the help she has given the truly bereft and those ignorant of their identity for which they NEED information. She listens and she searches.
  
  This is also done SO supremely well, that you little realize it- it is a memoir. Do I agree with all her feelings and summations? No. But I do for almost 95% of them, at least. She absolutely deserved to have a reserved seat at the Joseph DeAngelo sentencing. As I have also read I'll be Gone in the Dark and Unmasked- this book was like giving me new eyes to those who have gone before. Those trying so hard but not falling into just the right slants or facts or states of mind or combined talents to make logical deductions within mathematical mapping proof.
  
  Everywhere you go, you leave cells and believe me- they don't lie.
• 
  Paula

  Received as a free e-ARC from NetGalley.
  
  I had heard of Barbara Rae-Venter in other cold case books I've read such as Un­masked: My Life ­Solv­ing Amer­i­ca's ­Cold ­Cas­es and The Forever Witness: How Genetic Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder by Edward Humes. Barbara describes her life before she was a DNA genealogist and why she became interested and how she became interested. She talks about the cases she was involved and was initially going to remain anonymous until someone tried to steal her credit. Although interesting, it can be slow and choppy. Information can be repetitive. The chapters are titled leading one to believe that is what the chapter is going to be about, but there is jumping back and forth between the cases which can lead to some confusion and repetitiveness. Overall, it is a good book and offers a different point of various cold cases and poses the question whether law enforcement should be able to use genealogy programs in their line of work. The book will appeal to readers who love true crime, science, cold cases, genealogists, arm chair detecting.
• 
  Caitie

  3.5 stars, and I understand this is an unpopular opinion. I am incredibly disappointed that I couldn't get into this one more. But I feel like the title is misleading: most of the book is dedicated to the identification of a living victim involved in the Bear Brook Murder Case and a smattering of other John/Jane Doe cases. (More information about the Bear Brook case here:
  https://abcnews.go.com/US/terry-rasmu...) For most of the book, the narrative jumps back ad forth--suddenly we're going from the Golden State Killer case to this other case involving trying to give the identity of a woman who was kidnapped as a young girl.
  
  However, the writing style made me want to keep reading. I found it to be very accessible to the average person who doesn't know a lot about science behind DNA analysis. The kind of "inside baseball," aspects of the Golden State Killer case were also interesting to me, and how they eventually led to the killer. This just wasn't what I was expecting it to be.
• 
  Anna

  This is a great read for those of you interested in true crime. If you followed Golden State Killer or are fans of Paul Holes, this is for you. Venter details her life and career and how she became involved in genetic genealogy and why she wanted to remain anonymous.
  She worked on several high profile cases and discusses those in addition to GSK including Terry Rasmussen.
  She mentions and credits Michelle McNamara for not giving up on the case and being a big part of why this case was solved.
  Of course she dishes about her and Paul Holes working the case together and how it was ultimately solved.
  Finally, she discusses DNA/genealogy ethics which I think many stories in the true crime world leave out especially with all the recent developments in the ease of DNA testing and uploading it to various online databases.
  I definitely recommend this read!
  Of course, content warnings include murder, child murder, sexual assault.
• 
  Dana

  Several months after the identity of the Golden State Killer was announced, we heard the name of the genetic genealogist who had worked on the case: Barbara Rae-Venter. But this wasn’t the first cold case she’d solved using DNA and the emerging field of investigative genetic genealogy.
  
  This book follows Barbara through some of those earlier cases before diving into the GSK case. These time-consuming cases brought answers to cases that appeared unsolvable. She also shares about the make-shift, COVID spaced courtroom where the self-described survivors, not victims, were able to share their stories and address the confessed rapist and killer. I was surprised to read that the photo was all see of this feeble old man was just an act!
  
  Barbara finishes the book by giving insight into the traits and skills that can help someone succeed in the field of investigative genetic genealogy.
• 
  Tammy

  This was a very interesting read! I was intrigued from the Preface! I found myself glued to the story, how an amateur could gather information enough to help name a serial killer.
  
  Having done my own DNA a couple of years ago, it was fascinating to me how what started for the author as an interest in her own family history to then become a whiz on using genetic genealogy to help Crime Investigators solve cases.
  
  I enjoyed the book and the evolving of using DNA to help solve cold cases.
  
  Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this book from Ballantine Books, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC, New York with no expectation in return. The thoughts above are my own and I chose to share them.
• 
  Drea

  FASCINATING. This book is written by the woman who does the nitty gritty out of the box thinking using science and DNA to uncover perpetrators of horrific unsolved crimes. She is most known as working on and uncovering Joe DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer through creative use of DNA and online genetic websites (ones that I’ve used to find out who my relatives are). It’s written well and clips along with just enough science coupled with the background of the crime. Really glad I read this and anyone who is into true crime and true crime podcasts will eat this one up! Thanks to Ballantine for the advanced copy.
• 
  Patricia Romero

  How an amateur DNA sleuth unmasked the Golden State Killer and changed crime-fighting forever.
  
  The Golden State Killer was active for twelve years. Stalking, killing, and terrorizing an entire state. Then he was gone. Just gone.
  
  Until a relentless detective hooked up with Barbara. A DNA sleuth working to find adoptee's families. She ended up becoming the leading authority on investigative genealogy.
  
  This was a very interesting book. The author really followed some rabbit holes on this one. I had recently seen the author on television talking about his case and was impressed.
  
  A good story.
  
  NetGalley/February 7, 2023 RHPG-Ballentine
• 
  Aaron Brown

  Riveting and fascinating stuff with a healthy dose of science and true crime narrative. If you want to understand how one of the most prolific, ruthless and cunning rapists and murderers ever was caught, after almost 30 years of silence, this is the book. There are some interesting new details about the lead up to the Golden State Killer 's arrest that I don't think have been published before as well. But the book is really all about the author's use of new DNA ICG techniques, which she perfected on other criminal cases, before taking down the big one. Well worth the read for readers interested in true crime, forensics and the Golden State Killer.
• 
  Julia

  to start, the title is clearly something the publishers came up with the hook readers-- this is a book that does talk about the golden state killer, but that is just one of the many stories in there. it is a book about the details of the start of genetic genealogy and how it is used in a forensic setting, specifically related to the author's work on several unsolved cases. now, i happen to love this because i am a total nerd for genetic science and for genealogical research. this is probably not a book for everyone, but if you happen to fall in the niche of enjoying genealogy, details of genetics, and true crime solving, i highly recommend. all said, i really enjoyed it.
• 
  Renee

  *Disclaimer - I received a copy of this ebook for free from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
  
  I thinks it's safe to say that most of us have heard of how the Golden State Killer was caught, through DNA technology...but I had no idea what went into that other than what I could hear on a podcast.
  
  Barbara broke down her work, and it was truly fascinating. A small, devoted team dove in and solved the case.
  
  I loved reading about it, and truly hope that DNA can be used this way long into the future.
• 
  Sally Noran

  While I am not a true crime aficionado, I have been doing my family (and related) history for 23 years.
  The author has inspired me to learn more about DNA and use my tree-building skills for something truly important. I literally couldn't put this book down! The more monsters off the streets the better, so I have opted in on Gedmatch and FamilytreeDNA for forensic purposes. I will also contact Ancestry.com (where I have my main tree) and request that they allow opting in to forensic DNA analysis. Thank you Barbara for a truly inspiring book and for the useful work you do.