In Echoes Across Charlottesville, DNA evidence linked crimes years before investigators could identify the person responsible. CODIS confirmed connections—but it could not provide a name. At the time, there was no lawful or technical way to move beyond that limitation.
That gap is where Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) comes in.
IGG represents one of the most significant shifts in modern criminal investigation—not because it replaces traditional forensic work, but because it fills the space where conventional DNA databases end. Instead of asking whether a suspect’s DNA is already on file, IGG asks a different question: Who is this person related to?
The technique first captured national attention in 2018 with the arrest of Joseph DeAngelo, known for decades as the Golden State Killer. In that case, investigators used crime-scene DNA to identify distant relatives through genealogy databases that allow law-enforcement access by consent. By building family trees and narrowing candidates based on age, geography, and opportunity, investigators were able to identify DeAngelo—despite the fact that his DNA had never been entered into CODIS.
That case proved something critical: DNA doesn’t need a name to start talking.
But the Golden State Killer was not a one-off. Since then, IGG has quietly helped resolve hundreds of cold cases across the country—identifying both unknown perpetrators and unidentified human remains—often after decades without answers.
One of the organizations doing this work today is Moxxy Forensics, a nonprofit investigative genetic genealogy group co-founded by Katie Thomas. Moxxy partners with law-enforcement agencies nationwide to apply IGG in cases where all traditional investigative leads have been exhausted.
Their work follows strict legal and ethical guidelines. Moxxy does not collect DNA themselves, does not arrest suspects, and does not bypass the justice system. Instead, they function as a tool—providing investigative leads through genealogy and public records research. Law enforcement remains responsible for confirmatory DNA testing, arrests, and prosecutions.
Through this approach, Moxxy has helped identify previously unknown victims, restore names to long-forgotten cases, and provide families with answers they were once told would never come. Their solved cases—many of which span decades—demonstrate the power of IGG when it is used carefully, transparently, and with consent.
What makes IGG especially important in cases like Echoes Across Charlottesville is timing. When the Harrington and Fairfax cases were linked by DNA in 2010, investigators knew the same man was responsible—but IGG was not yet a viable investigative option. By the time the technique matured and legal frameworks were established, the case had already moved toward resolution through other means.
That reality underscores a difficult truth: justice is often shaped not just by evidence, but by the tools available at a particular moment in time.
Today, IGG continues to evolve. As more people voluntarily upload DNA to opt-in databases and allow their data to be used for violent-crime investigations, the likelihood of resolving cold cases increases. At the same time, ongoing conversations about privacy, consent, and oversight remain essential to maintaining public trust.
IGG is not magic. It doesn’t solve every case. But when used responsibly, it turns silence into leads—and leads into answers.
And for families who have waited years—or decades—for the truth, that difference is everything.