Is It Ethical to Use Genealogy Data to Solve Crimes?
Authors: Benjamin E. Berkman, Wynter K. Miller, Christine Grady
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2018)

Ideas and Opinions4 September 2018Is It Ethical to Use Genealogy Data to Solve Crimes?Benjamin E. Berkman, JD, MPH, Wynter K. Miller, JD, and Christine Grady, RN, PhDBenjamin E. Berkman, JD, MPHNational Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.E.B., W.K.M., C.G.), Wynter K. Miller, JDNational Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.E.B., W.K.M., C.G.), and Christine Grady, RN, PhDNational Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.E.B., W.K.M., C.G.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M18-1348 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Authorities recently arrested the suspected Golden State Killer, a serial rapist and murderer who terrorized California decades ago. Armed with DNA from several crime scenes, the police cracked this cold case using a new resource: online genealogy data. Although criminal investigators have long used DNA analysis, this case is notable because the implicating genetic information was not obtained from a forensic resource created specifically for criminal justice purposes. Since the excitement of solving this infamous case subsided, public conversation increasingly has become focused on the ethics of using genealogy data for crime solving. Ethics discussions should include 3 interrelated topics: ...References1. Radin MJ. Boilerplate: The Fine Print, Vanishing Rights, and the Rule of Law. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ Pr; 2012. Google Scholar2. Grady C, Eckstein L, Berkman B, Brock D, Cook-Deegan R, Fullerton SM, et al. Broad consent for research with biological samples: workshop conclusions. Am J Bioeth. 2015;15:34-42. [PMID: 26305750] doi:10.1080/15265161.2015.1062162 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Wendler D. One-time general consent for research on biological samples. BMJ. 2006;332:544-7. 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BMC Med. 2013;11:25. [PMID: 23369270] doi:10.1186/1741-7015-11-25 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Greely HT, Riordan DP, Garrison NA, Mountain JL. Family ties: the use of DNA offender databases to catch offenders' kin. J Law Med Ethics. 2006;34:248-62. [PMID: 16789947] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Lipphardt V, Lipphardt A, Buchanan N, Surdu M, Toom V, Wienroth M, et al. Open letter on critical approaches to forensic DNA phenotyping and biogeographical ancestry. Accessed at https://stsfreiburg.wordpress.com/english/open-letter/ on 17 May 2018. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (B.E.B., W.K.M., C.G.)Disclaimer: The views herein are those of the authors and do not represent the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services or the National Institutes of Health.Financial Support: By the National Institutes of Health Intramural Research Program (National Human Genome Research Institute and Clinical Center).Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M18-1348.Corresponding Author: Benjamin E. Berkman, JD, MPH, Department of Bioethics, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Suite 1C118, Bethesda, MD 20892; e-mail, [email protected]nih.gov.Current Author Addresses: Mr. Berkman, Ms. Miller, and Dr. Grady: Department of Bioethics, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Suite 1C118, Bethesda, MD 20892.Author Contributions: Conception and design: B.E. Berkman, W.K. Miller, C. Grady.Drafting of the article: B.E. Berkman, W.K. Miller.Critical revision for important intellectual content: B.E. Berkman, W.K. Miller, C. Grady.Final approval of the article: B.E. Berkman, W.K. Miller, C. Grady.This article was published at Annals.org on 29 May 2018. 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