GEDmatch: A Genealogy Platform Allowing Users and Law Enforcement to Make Familial Connections

GEDmatch is a genetic genealogy website with over 1.4M users who want to learn more about their genetic roots. It was set up in 2010 with the mission of using science to connect people and has since been used by amateur and professional researchers and genealogists, as well as adoptees looking for their birth parents. GEDmatch users begin this process of discovery by taking a DNA test from direct to consumer (D2C) companies, like Ancestry, 23&me, My Heritage, Family Tree, and others. They upload the results of this test to GEDmatch, which allows them to compare their history with others, irrespective of which vendor they used.

GEDmatch rose to prominence in the public sphere following the arrest and prosecution of the notorious Golden State Killer. Former California police officer Joseph James DeAngelo, who pled guilty to 13 counts of murder and 13 counts of kidnapping with robbery, eluded a statewide hunt that began in the 1970s. After decades of traditional police investigative methods turned up few leads, law enforcement got their first break after comparing DNA collected from the crime scenes with matches in GEDmatch, which helped them narrow down the field of suspects. Falling back on well-established investigative methods for suspect inclusion or exclusion the police were able to bring this investigative odyssey to an end with Joseph DeAngelo's sentencing on August 21st, 2020.

Verogen was founded in August 2017 with the mission of transforming criminal justice and human identification by providing the tools necessary for genetic and biometric linkages. With its acquisition of GEDmatch in 2019, Verogen is driving the adoption of next generation sequencing (NGS) to find answers for cases that were previously unsolvable.

In this interview, we speak with Swathi Kumar, Director of Product Management at Verogen. We discuss what makes GEDmatch such a valuable and unique tool for solving cold cases and identifying John and Jane Doe remains, how Verogen is diligently working to protect the privacy of its users, and what is in store for the future of the platform.

To learn more about how the Golden State Killer case and how genetic genealogy is being used, we invite you to view our playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLll6Q7aUAtbAA_oqIyS9HuTSPJu95lSjr

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