Search Captions & Ask AI

Meet the DNA "detective" who helped solve a decades-old cold case

November 12, 2022 / 04:53

This episode features Gabriella Vargas, a genetic genealogist, discussing her work on solving a previously unsolvable case using DNA analysis.

Vargas explains the challenges she faced with a minuscule DNA sample of 28 picograms, emphasizing its significance in tracing ancestral origins.

She details her research process, which involved constructing family trees that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, leading her to identify potential suspects.

Vargas highlights the importance of connecting DNA matches to individuals with violent histories, which ultimately helped her narrow down the suspect.

The episode also touches on the emotional aspect of her work, particularly her motivation stemming from the family of victim Roxanne Woods, who remained hopeful for justice.

TLDR

Gabriella Vargas discusses solving a cold case using DNA analysis and family genealogy.

Episode

4:53
00:00:00
[Music] foreign [Music] but I'm also a pink haired tattooed mom from California who enjoys woodworking
00:00:24
and gardening Gabriella Vargas is a genetic genealogist probably one of the best in
00:00:41
the country if not the world foreign it was deemed unsolvable prior to my involvement
00:01:16
and I said well why don't you let me look at it I concluded that I did not stand with the others I believed that
00:01:27
this case was extremely solvable and I believe that I could solve it describe the size of the DNA material
00:01:42
that you had to work with it was 28 picograms so small that you could never see it with the the naked eye just a
00:01:53
speck of a speck of a speck the size of a human cell small amount of DNA it tells me where their ancestral
00:02:09
Origins come from are they Eastern European are they Mediterranean are they African-American and what was the race
00:02:17
of this person Caucasian they can choose to opt into law enforcement matching if they do that I
00:02:39
can see if they are a match to my suspect how far back did you go in time uh one
00:02:57
side of the tree the ancestor was 1823 on the other side the top ancestor was 1797.
00:03:06
essentially what we're looking for amongst these matches are where they connect to each other and it led me to a
00:03:14
union couple this couple was born around 1920. based on that we can presume that they would
00:03:27
have kids around 1940 maybe 1950 it would have to be one of their children thank you
00:03:53
he's been involved in a lot of different things violent things violent things sexual deviant things you name it he's
00:04:00
probably been involved in it and you connect the DNA with someone who has a history of violent behavior and he got
00:04:06
yourself a suspect absolutely Roxanne Woods family was my motivation for working as hard and as
00:04:15
fast as I did they never gave up hope that one day Justice would be served they have a Facebook page
00:04:25
Janet Wood had made a post on the page one day Rock one day and I screamed out at the top of my lungs no today's your
00:04:37
day Rock today's your day foreign

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 65
    Most heartbreaking
  • 60
    Most emotional
  • 60
    Most satisfying

Episode Highlights

  • Gabriella Vargas: A Genetic Pioneer
    Gabriella Vargas, a leading genealogist, believes she can solve unsolvable cases.
    “I believed that this case was extremely solvable.”
    @ 01m 27s
    November 12, 2022
  • The Power of DNA
    DNA analysis reveals ancestral origins and can connect to law enforcement.
    “It tells me where their ancestral origins come from.”
    @ 02m 07s
    November 12, 2022
  • Motivation from Family
    Roxanne Woods' family inspired Gabriella to work tirelessly for justice.
    “Roxanne Woods' family was my motivation for working as hard and as fast as I did.”
    @ 04m 08s
    November 12, 2022

Episode Quotes

  • They never gave up hope that one day justice would be served.
    Meet the DNA "detective" who helped solve a decades-old cold case
  • Today's your day, Rock!
    Meet the DNA "detective" who helped solve a decades-old cold case

Key Moments

  • Pink Haired Mom00:14
  • Genetic Detective00:35
  • Unsolvable Case00:58
  • Ancestral Origins02:07
  • Justice for Roxanne04:08

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown