DNA technology

California has expanded its Missing Persons DNA Program to include identifying unknown living individuals, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The law allows DNA samples to be retained longer and supports investigations into unresolved missing persons cases.

A new California law expands the use of DNA technology to identify both deceased and living unknown individuals in missing persons investigations. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law, which allows longer retention of DNA samples and provides forensic resources for resolving unresolved cases.

DNA technology was used to identify the remains of a Revolutionary War soldier as a young man from Maryland. The identification occurred near the 250th anniversary of American independence.

The 1991 murder of four teenage girls in a Texas yogurt shop remains unsolved, but advancing DNA technology offers hope for solving the case.

A DNA breakthrough led to the arrest in a 33-year-old cold case that had eluded investigators for decades. Authorities revisited evidence and pursued leads over multiple years before achieving a breakthrough.

Skeletal remains found two decades ago have been identified as a missing Hawaii man after a cold case breakthrough. The identification was made possible through advancements in technology and investigative work. The case had gone unsolved for nearly 20 years.

Skeletal remains found in Hawaii two decades ago have been identified as a missing man after a breakthrough in a cold case. The identification brings closure to the family of the missing person. The case was solved using advanced technology and investigative techniques.

New DNA technology solved a 27-year-old cold case in Ohio where Larry Drotleff confessed to dismemberming his father, Lawrence A. Drotleff, and stuffing remains in suitcases. The case, initially unsolvable due to lack of identification, led to federal theft charges against Larry for stealing over $250,000 in Social Security and pension funds.

Robert William 'Bob' McCaffrey Jr., whose wife disappeared years ago, is now accused of a 1990 New Jersey murder after DNA evidence linked him to the case. He was extradited from North Carolina, pleaded not guilty to murder, burglary, and kidnapping, and is awaiting trial. Advances in DNA technology and investigative work led to his arrest in a decades-old cold case.

A 65-year-old Arizona woman, Nancy Jean Trottier, has been charged with the murder of a newborn found suffocated in North Dakota in 1981. DNA technology linked her to the infant, leading to a Class AA felony murder charge after decades of investigation.