Forensic Genealogist Helps CMPD Cold Cases Division Solve Cases

CHARLOTTE N.C. –

CMPD Cold Cases Division has over 600 cold cases on their hands. With the help of Forensic Genealogist Leslie Kaufman, CMPD is using DNA to help solve cold cases. The newer technology is proven to help solve cases that have been cold for years by collecting DNA from close relatives to those possibly linked in a cold case and building family trees hoping to reveal the identity of the deceased.

“It’s very successful. It’s really rare that you are unable to identify someone,” says Forensic Genealogist Leslie Kaufman.

CMPD is the first department in the state of North Carolina to use their own funds for forensic DNA testing. The forensic DNA testing is a newer technology and has been around for at least 4 to 5 years gaining in popularity to help solve cases.

“When you do an ancestry test, 23 and me, my heritage – you’re looking for who you are related to, and I am doing the same thing. What I have to do is build their family tree until I find all the relatives connected to this person. I typically go back 4,5,

6 generations.” said Kaufman.

CMPD Cold Case Division finds the science helpful with solving cases and costs around 6 to 7 thousand dollars. The last case in Charlotte using the technique was solved last spring using Forensic Genealogy. For detectives James Helms and Matt Hefner, Forensic Genealogy is beneficial.

“It’s a new science, new technology using DNA and putting that into commercial platforms that allow us to generate leads that weren’t there before,” said Helms. Hefner said “you would think people would be reluctant but often we are finding that people are as curious as we are, so they will provide their DNA. We can continue to build a case towards solvability.”