How DNA Solved A 30 Year Old Cold Case #truecrimeinvestigation #coldcase #crimejunkies #podcast | Forensic Files

So, now I'm breaking down five powerful types of DNA testing that investigators use to solve crimes and sharing the real
cases where those tests uncovered the truth. Starting [music] off with number five. Investigative genetic genealogy or
IGG. You probably heard a lot about IGG in recent years. But what is it exactly? Investigative
genetic genealogy brings forensic DNA analysis together with traditional genealogy to develop leads in criminal
investigations or to identify unidentified human remains. Investigative genetic genealogists or
members of law enforcement can upload DNA profiles from a crime scene or from remains to certain genetic genealogy
databases. And from there, they work on identifying genetic relatives of the person whose DNA they have and build out
a family tree with that data. After the family tree has been built out, police potentially look to obtain a DNA sample
from someone in that family tree to compare against the original sample. One notable case that has been solved in
part thanks to IGG is the murder of April Marie Tinsley. April was just 8 years old when she was kidnapped,
sexually assaulted, and murdered in the spring [music] of 1988. Biological evidence was collected at the
scene, but sampling and testing protocols weren't advanced enough yet to solve the case. But by the early 2000s,
investigators were finally able to pull a DNA profile from the sample and upload
it [music] to CODIS. But no matches were immediately found. That meant that it was likely that the perpetrator's DNA
had never been uploaded to the CODIS database in connection [music] to any other crimes.
So, the case sat cold until 2018, when investigators retested the sample that they had to get a profile suitable for
GEDmatch, which is a public opt-in DNA database. Seriously, anyone, including you, can upload DNA to GEDmatch. From
there, genealogist CeCe Moore used family tree mapping to identify John D. Miller, who had lived not too far from
April at the time of her murder. Investigators knew Miller probably wouldn't turn over his DNA sample for
direct comparison [music] willingly. So, they collected his abandoned DNA by obtaining used condoms from his trash.
Then, when they did a direct comparison to the sample they had in April's case, they found out [music] it was indeed
their guy. In 2018, John Miller pled guilty to murder and child molestation [music] in connection with April's
killing. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison. So, though it took some time and
technological advances, DNA led to justice for April.

Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) is a DNA technique that combines forensic analysis with family tree research to identify suspects.

In the 1988 murder of 8-year-old April Marie Tinsley, traditional DNA testing failed to produce a match for decades. In 2018, investigators used IGG by uploading DNA to a public genealogy database and building out a family tree. This led them to John D. Miller.

After obtaining his DNA, investigators confirmed the match. Miller later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 80 years in prison.

This case is one of the most well-known examples of how IGG has helped solve long-standing cold cases.

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Brief Summary

Investigative Genetic Genealogy solved the cold case of April Tinsley, leading to her killer's identification and conviction.

Key points

The Murder of April Marie Tinsley. A tragic case solved through investigative genetic genealogy, leading to justice for a young victim.

Episode quotes

DNA led to justice for April.

The resolution of a long-cold case.

2:32WatchApr 29, 2026

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