Forensic Files Unsealed

The episode details the tragic 1991 abduction and murder of Lisa Ziegert, a young teacher’s assistant who disappeared from her evening shift at a Massachusetts gift shop. Though her remains were discovered days later, the case remained unsolved for over two decades despite an early tip regarding a local man named Gary Shara. The investigation finally gained momentum in 2016 through the use of DNA...

This episode review on the news program Missing highlights several high-profile disappearance cases, primarily focusing on the 1976 cold case of JoAnn Benner. Host Marne Hughes interviews podcaster Jeff Morgan, who presents evidence suggesting Benner’s husband was involved in her suspicious vanishing from the Florida panhandle. The program also provides updates on the search for Leila Santanelo in...

This episode explores the field of forensic botany, highlighting how vegetation like moss and pollen serves as a vital tool for solving crimes. Because these organisms are highly durable and geographically specific, they can link suspects to particular locations or help investigators discover hidden remains. Historical and modern examples illustrate their impact, ranging from the Lindbergh kidnapp...

This episode details the long-awaited resolution of several cold case homicides linked to the infamous Colonial Parkway Murders in Virginia. Investigators successfully identified Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. as the primary suspect in multiple 1980s killings through recent DNA technology advancements. Although Wilmer died in 2017, he has been forensicly tied to the deaths of Cathleen Thomas, Rebecca Dowski...

In 2001, Herman Wilder was tragically murdered outside his apartment in Dahlonega, Georgia, but the case remained a mystery for over two decades. Following years without leads, the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office partnered with Othram, a private laboratory specializing in advanced DNA testing. By utilizing forensic genetic genealogy, investigators successfully identified Carroll Dean Burrell as th...

This episode recounts the decades-long investigation into the 1975 murder of Lindy Sue Biechler, a teenager found stabbed in her Pennsylvania home. Although the case remained unsolved for over forty years, investigators eventually utilized modern genetic genealogy to identify a former neighbor, David Sinopoli, as the primary suspect. Detectives finally secured a breakthrough by surreptitiously col...

Law enforcement officials in Suffolk County recently announced the resolution of a cold case involving the 1997 abduction, sexual assault, and killing of Ann Lustig. Investigators successfully identified the culprit as Steven Briecke by utilizing advanced DNA technology and forensic methods recently popularized by the Gilgo Beach task force. Although the perpetrator died in 2014, modern testing of...

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office recently announced the resolution of the 1992 cold case murder of Elizabeth Wasson, an 82-year-old community pillar from Hillsboro. Modern forensic testing conducted in 2023 allowed investigators to identify male DNA on evidence from the original crime scene, officially linking the killing to Cesar Barone. Barone was a notorious serial killer who ha...

This episode details a significant breakthrough in a thirty-three-year-old cold case from Illinois involving the 1993 murder of Randy Gail Sperino. Law enforcement recently utilized forensic genealogical DNA technology to identify and charge Albert "Buddy" Zigler with first-degree murder after decades of stagnant leads. The seventy-year-old suspect allegedly admitted to fatally beating the victim...

This source details the resolution of a 33-year-old cold case in Illinois involving the 1993 murder of Randy Gail Sperino. Law enforcement recently arrested Albert "Buddy" Zigler, a 70-year-old man, after utilizing forensic genealogy to link him to the decades-old crime. Zigler is accused of fatally beating the victim and abandoning her body in a field, a case that remained a mystery until this re...

The Nashville Metro Police are utilizing forensic genetic genealogy to solve decades-old cold cases by identifying long-unidentified human remains. This advanced technology recently confirmed the identities of Philip Sydnor, Yadezia Jones, and Marcus Rutledge, providing closure for families who had been without answers for years. By collaborating with private laboratories, investigators can build...

After nearly four decades, authorities in Ohio successfully identified skeletal remains found in 1989 as Ernest Emerson Carter. This breakthrough was achieved through a collaborative effort between the Franklin County Coroner, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and private forensic organizations. While traditional DNA testing initially failed to produce results, the use of advanced forensi...

The episode details the permanent closure of the investigation into the unsolved murder of Kirsty Jones, a British backpacker killed in Thailand in 2000. Because the 20-year statute of limitations has officially expired, Thai authorities can no longer pursue criminal charges against any suspects. The victim’s family expressed profound grief and a lack of closure, noting that they spent two decades...

In 2022, construction workers in Wright County, Minnesota, discovered the skeletal remains of a woman buried beneath the site of an old cabin. Forensic experts estimate the woman was a middle-aged Caucasian who lived during the 18th or 19th century. To identify her, the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office has partnered with Othram, a private laboratory specializing in advanced genomic sequencing. Th...

The Missoula County Sheriff's Office has partnered with Othram to identify a man whose skeletal remains were discovered by hikers in May 2007. Found near a trail in the Bitterroot National Forest, the decedent is believed to be a Caucasian male between the ages of 35 and 60. Several personal items, including a turquoise sleeping bag and specific clothing, were recovered at the scene but have not y...

This episode details the successful resolution of a fifty-year-old cold case involving the 1973 murders of sisters Maggie and Mary Jenkins in Key Largo, Florida. After decades of uncertainty, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement partnered with Othram, a private laboratory, to utilize advanced forensic genetic genealogy and genome sequencing. This modern technology allowed investigators to bui...

The episode details the successful identification of a 1996 homicide victim, formerly known as Benton County John Doe, through the use of advanced genetic genealogy. After decades of fruitless investigation and traditional forensic methods, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the private laboratory Othram to develop a comprehensive DNA profile from degraded remains. This technologica...

This episode details the successful identification of Rosa Elia Vargas Jimenez Everts, a homicide victim whose remains were discovered in Yakima County in 1988. For nearly four decades, the woman was known only as "Parker Doe" until advanced Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing was utilized by the laboratory Othram. By comparing a DNA profile to potential family members located by state investigators,...

The episode details the successful identification of a suspect in the 1997 cold case murder of Margaret M. Anselmo in Spokane, Washington. After nearly three decades, law enforcement collaborated with Othram, a private forensic laboratory, to apply advanced genome sequencing to evidence that had previously failed to produce a match. This modern technology allowed investigators to build a genetic p...

The episode details the successful identification of Jeremiah Garretson, a man whose remains were discovered in a Georgia pond in 2019. Initial efforts to name the individual through fingerprint databases and forensic sketches proved unsuccessful, leaving the accidental drowning case cold for several years. In 2022, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation collaborated with Othram, a private laboratory...

In 2009, investigators discovered a grave resale scandal at Burr Oak Cemetery where workers were illegally relocating human remains to sell occupied plots. A recent study highlights how botanical forensics used a tiny sample of common pocket moss to secure criminal convictions against the perpetrators. By comparing the plant species found with the bodies to the natural vegetation of the cemetery,...

Authorities in Valley County, Idaho, recently resolved a 2005 sexual assault case by utilizing forensic investigative genetic genealogy to identify a suspect who is now deceased. This breakthrough was made possible through the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), which provided the federal funding necessary for advanced genome sequencing and out-of-state detective work. By comparing the...

The episode chronicles the four-decade journey to solve the 1979 homicide of eighteen-year-old Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Despite the discovery of the victim's body in a mall parking lot with numerous stab wounds, the investigation remained stagnant for years due to a lack of suspects and motive. The breakthrough occurred when forensic investigators utilized genetic genealogy to link...

In January 2010, construction workers in Manchester, England, discovered the skeletal remains of an unidentified woman wrapped in carpet beneath a former slum. Dubbed the "Angel of the Meadow," the victim is believed to have been murdered between 1975 and 1988 and was found with significant facial and neck fractures. Distinctive clues include a green 1970s pinafore dress and a specific missing too...

The episode details the successful resolution of a nearly forty-year-old cold case through modern DNA technology. Investigators in Douglas County, Colorado, identified the late Vincent Darrell Groves as the individual responsible for the 1987 assault and murder of Rhonda Marie Fisher. Forensic experts secured this breakthrough by matching biological evidence from the crime scene to a national data...