CINCINNATI — Cincinnati police have, for the first time, utilized novel DNA processing and comparison technology to close a decades-old homicide investigation.
Detective Jeff Smallwood said they had previously used forensic genetic genealogy to solve two sexual assaults and chose the 2003 homicide of Herman Brown as their third attempt at solving old cases with the relatively new system of DNA comparison.
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"Every case is the same whether it happened yesterday or it happened 20 years ago," Smallwood said.
The detective said the genetic genealogy testing allows them to take DNA found at a crime scene, process it at a laboratory that needs significantly smaller samples than before, and compare it against publicly available genealogy databases to find suspects who otherwise wouldn't be located in traditional law enforcement databases.
"Now we can really reach our net, and reach out and touch people that have had no other contact with the law enforcement system," he said.
Once the samples are returned from labs, Smallwood said the hard work begins with officers at the Real Time Crime Unit like Heather Saidler and Chad Koeppe.
"It is a puzzle," Saidler said. "And it can be really hard at times."
Saidler said each piece of the puzzle represents a relative of the DNA sample returned from the genealogy database consisting of potentially hundreds of names.
Each could be the killer, and Smallwood said it takes traditional police work to narrow down potential suspects, but the genealogy tech allows them to narrow down suspects and identify potential suspects.
"With the ultimate goal of getting a DNA sample to make that one-to-one comparison and get a 100% match," he said.
Koeppe said the process could be grinding and difficult but the department continues to put in the work —even in cold cases — because there are victims still in need of justice.
"It takes quite a bit of time and energy to do it, but I think we go in day to day just trying to remember that they have family that would love to have answers," he said.
Smallwood said the department is now looking forward to going four for four in solve rate with this new technology as a grant from the group Season of Justice will help them process evidence from a 1989 sexual assault.
"It is really about that peace of mind — knowing that person that the person that's in line next to you at Kroger isn't the person that did something to you 20 years ago," Smallwood said.
Robert Stewart was charged with murder and felonious assault for the 2003 death of Herman Brown.
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