Featured
April 2, 2025 · 5 min read
There's a lot of noise around DNA databases and law enforcement access. Much of it is misinformation. The truth is that opting in on GEDmatch could be one of the most important things you do — not just for your own family, but for the families of victims who deserve answers.
GEDmatch allows users to explicitly opt-in to making their DNA data available for law enforcement matching. When you opt in, your kit can be compared against crime-scene DNA to help identify suspects or, equally importantly, to identify unidentified human remains. When you opt out, that matching cannot happen — even if it might help solve a case that's been cold for decades.
The concern most people have is privacy. That's completely understandable. But it's important to understand what opting in actually means: your DNA is only used for law enforcement matching purposes — not for advertising, insurance, or any other commercial purpose. The data is accessed by certified investigators following strict ethical and legal protocols under IGG Standards of Practice.
One area where opting in matters enormously is representation. Historically, DNA databases have been skewed toward people of European ancestry. Cold-case victims and their families who come from underrepresented backgrounds are less likely to be identified through IGG simply because there are fewer relatives in the database to match. By opting in — especially if you are from a community that has historically been underrepresented — you could be the link that closes a case and brings a family answers they've been waiting years for.
— Anna Phillips, Uncovered RootsAll Posts
April 2, 2025 · 4 min read
The annual International Investigative Genetic Genealogy (I4GG) conference brings together the leading researchers and practitioners in the field. This year's programme included landmark presentations from Dana Leeds on the Leeds Method and its evolutions, and Barbara Rae Venter — whose pioneering IGG work on the Golden State Killer case opened the door to this entire discipline.
Key highlights included an update on the number of cases resolved through IGG in the past year — a number that continues to grow significantly — as well as new research on genealogical algorithms and how emerging tools are changing the speed and accuracy of DNA-based family reconstruction.
For practitioners and newcomers alike, I4GG is an essential gathering. The energy and commitment in the room is a reminder of what's at stake: real cases, real families, real answers.
Read more →Coming Soon
A primer on the methodology that is transforming cold-case investigation — from DNA upload to suspect identification.
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Not all DNA databases are created equal. A plain-language guide to the platforms used in genetic genealogy and IGG research.
Coming Soon
Thousands of unidentified human remains cases remain open across the country. How investigative genetic genealogy is giving the unidentified a name — and their families, closure.
Coming Soon
A compassionate guide for anyone who has discovered they are a Not-Parent Expected — and the first steps toward finding answers.
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The ethical and legal framework that governs responsible IGG work — and why every practitioner should follow it without exception.