Could Having Your DNA Tested Land You in Court?
By Claire Maldarelli,
Popular Science
| 10. 16. 2015
Untitled Document
The story of filmmaker Michael Usry’s arrest seems like it could have come straight from an episode of CSI. A New Orleans-based filmmaker known for his violent, murder-centered films, he was suspected of the 1996 murder of a young woman in Idaho Falls, Idaho. In early 2015, using DNA his father submitted to a private genetics company owned by Ancestry.com, police narrowed down on the filmmaker. Usry submitted his DNA to authorities and when it didn't match, he was found innocent. However, as Wired reports in an article today, the method the cops used to narrow down on Usry--employing private genetics companies' databases to find a suspect--brings to the forefront the already heightened concerns over the use and privacy laws of commercial DNA testing through companies such as Ancestry and 23andMe.
Back in 1996, a suspect was convicted of the murder soon after it took place. However, amid concerns that the wrong man was convicted, the police turned to a controversial technique known as familial searching, which searches a DNA database to look for close...
Related Articles
By Keith Casebonne and Jodi Beckstine [with CGS' Katie Hasson], Disability Deep Dive | 07.24.2025
In this episode of Disability Deep Dive, hosts Keith and Jodi explore the complex interplay between disability science, technology, and ethics with guest Katie Hasson, Associate Director at the Center for Genetics and Society. The conversation delves into...
By Angus Liu, Fierce Pharma | 07.22.2025
A brief skirmish between Sarepta Therapeutics and the FDA has ended before escalating into a full-on regulatory clash, as the company has bowed to the agency’s demand.
In a surprising reversal, Sarepta on Monday said it will pause all shipments...
By Lucy Tu, The Atlantic | 07.11.2025
Donald Trump—who is, by his own accounting, “the fertilization president” and “the father of IVF”—wants to help Americans reproduce. During his 2024 campaign, he promised that the government or insurance companies would cover the cost of in vitro fertilization. In...
By Jared Whitlock, Endpoints News | 07.15.2025
Patient groups face a harder and unpredictable path going state-by-state to boost screening for rare but treatable conditions after the Trump administration disbanded a federal advisory committee on newborn screening.
In April, the Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns...