Friday, May 22, 2009
Rounding up DNA links
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How far would you go to catch a serial killer?
Would you submit your DNA to see if the killer could be a family member?
This might be a tough call, but consider: DNA testing allows cases that were once cold to be warmed — and solved. That sample could save lives.
A serial killer is murdering women in Milwaukee, most of them prostitutes. The police could soon ask the public to submit DNA to help catch the killer.
We understand that there can be privacy and self-incrimination issues at work when authorities seek such samples. That just means that authorities must be very careful to make this completely voluntary. No coercion should come into play.
At the moment, the FBI is trying to narrow the killer’s profile from other sources. If the case is still cold over the next several weeks, authorities will make a plea to members of the community to step up.
Running out of options
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm said submitted DNA may be the only way to find the links that can lead to the killer. The DNA procedure is painless, and the information obtained will be kept confidential, he said. This is a promise authorities must keep.
The hope is that DNA submitted from volunteers could lead to a suspect. Family members share common DNA traits. The killer’s DNA was found on seven women on the city’s north side, but there’s fear that more killings could be linked.
There are many unknowns in this case. Authorities do know, however, that the killer targets women on the fringes of society. While prostitution may be considered the world’s oldest profession, this case also reminds us that it is also among the most dangerous.
These women sometimes subject themselves to sexual violence — often to feed a drug habit. But experts say they also risk being killed every time they get into a stranger’s vehicle.
The person who targeted these women probably hoped that their deaths would fade over time. That can’t be allowed to happen. Between 1986 and 2007, 42 prostitutes were killed in Milwaukee, with only 31 percent of those cases solved.
This killer has been able to escape detection for over 23 years. DNA provides the thread that links the killings and could bring him to justice.