Genealogy Website Solves 40-Year-Old Murder Case

A man who allegedly committed 50 rapes and 12 murders was taken down decades later by a genetic profile website.

May 14th, 2018

Golden State Killer / Image: Carmichael Times

Golden State Killer / Image: Carmichael Times

A recent New York Times article covered the case of a serial rapist and murderer in California who eluded authorities until a genealogy database led them to his front door. Investigators obtained “abandoned” DNA samples that had been in storage for years and plugged the data into an online genealogy database called GEDmatch. The website led them to a distant relative of the suspect.

It turns out the Golden State Killer is former police officer Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., and on June 15, 2016, the FBI and local law enforcement agencies held a news conference to announce a nationwide search and $50,000 reward for his capture. He was eventually arrested on eight counts of first-degree murder, but he will not be charged for rapes committed in the 1970s due to California’s statue of limitations on pre-2017 rape cases.

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Quick Hits: Drugs With a History of Shortages Get Some Love

Civica Rx and Thermo Fisher Scientific are teaming up to develop and manufacture drugs that have a history of shortages.

Seven key steps for a capital project RFP

RFP Process Challenges and Solutions

Having upfront clarity into needs and establishing standards for what to use (and why), are the two biggest shortcomings cited by Vision 2025 participants in the Request for Proposal process.

Radiation Therapy

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ISTA Pharma Committee set to release its OQ best practice guideline.

Q&A: The New OQ Standard for Reusable Pharma Shippers

Increased demand for reusable passive thermal packaging systems has led to a need for industry standardization. Learn how pharma companies and suppliers are coming together to streamline adoption—and how you can benefit.

Quick Hits: Scientists Warn Whooping Cough is Evolving into a ‘Superbug’

The highly contagious bacterial disease that kills tens of thousands of people each year is getting tougher to fight.

Quick Hits: Forget Google Glass, Get Me These AR Contact Lenses

Mojo Vision contact lenses feature MicroLED technology that projects augmented reality text and images into the wearer’s vision field.

Young Living, headquartered in Utah with farms and operations around the world, makes a wide range of essential oils and other products.

Hitting Essential Filling Speeds for Essential Oils

With expansions in pharmaceutical, medical, and food and beverage applications, the essential oil market is booming. Young Living turned to Syntegon (formerly Bosch Packaging) to triple its filler speed and improve yield.

Sovereign implemented serialization and aggregation on all three configurations of packaging lines at once.

CDMO Speeds its Line with Open-Source L4 Serialization System

With the serialization deadline approaching, Sovereign Pharmaceuticals implemented open-source software that allows the company to make their own changes and improve packaging efficiency.

New bandage that repels blood.

Quick Hits: New Bandage Repels Blood and Promotes Clotting

A scientist in Switzerland accidentally invented a new kind of bandage that stops bleeding without sticking to the wound.

Multifunctional Equipment: Challenges and Solutions

Multifunctional Equipment: Challenges and Solutions Faced by CPGs Today

Finding a standardized process to manage changeover, and balancing flexibility, reliability and cost are some of the major pain points for Vision 2025 participants.

Vital Proteins Collagen Options

Rotary Filler Helps Keep Pace With Booming Collagen Market

To keep up with skyrocketing demand for its collagen powders, Vital Proteins turned to Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery and its rotary filler. It boosted production from 20 to 100 plastic canisters a minute, also improving safety and ease of operation.

Quick Hits: Research Finds Some CBD Pet Products Don’t Contain CBD

The explosion of CBD products on the market has trickled over to pets, but some companies seem to be making false claims.

Shown here is a corrugated case of 30 cartons just before the flaps are closed and sealed.

Sanofi Stick Packs Run at 800/min

Dual-filler liquid stick pack line for antacids and analgesics includes an innovative robotic transfer concept that plays a big role in enabling throughput of 800 packs/min.

Zantac Packaging

Quick Hits: Heartburn Medication Recalls Continue

The FDA has recalled more heartburn medications that have been found to contain trace amounts of a substance linked to cancer.

Report: Innovative New Pharmaceutical Packaging at PACK EXPO Las Vegas

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Governor Gavin Newsom

Quick Hits: Will California Launch a Generic Drug Label?

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PepsiCo’s bubly sparkling water line was among the Top 25 Breakthrough Innovations, aligning with sparkling water’s position as the fastest-growing category in bottled water, at 30%.

Top 25 Breakthrough CPG Product Innovations of 2019

Products on the list include those in the food and beverage, personal care, OTC, and petcare categories and reflect consumer trends such as good-for-you ingredients, convenience, and a move away from traditional beverage products, among others.

Willingness to diversify fuel use can become a competitive advantage for a business.

Facing Global Climate Crisis, 5 Logistics Questions to Ask

Companies shipping products, whether temperature-controlled or not, must start evaluating alternative energy sources sooner rather than later. Could this offer a competitive advantage?

Universal Flu Vaccine

Quick Hits: Universal Flu Vaccine Protects Against 6 Different Viruses in Mice

Researchers at Georgia State University have created a novel nanoparticle vaccine that could lead to universal protection from influenza.

Vision 2025 PACK EXPO Las Vegas

Improving Asset Reliability

Learn what Vision 2025 participants at PACK EXPO Las Vegas had to say about improving asset reliability in their organizations, and where they are on the road to continuous improvement.

More in Home

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The largest analysis to date, led by the U.S. government found no strong evidence linking baby powder with ovarian cancer.

Controversial new labeling idea

Headlines from the U.K. sound promising but reading deeper reveals very little benefit for contemplating such a major change for food manufacturers.

Reliefband alleviates nausea and vomiting

Quick Hits: Wearables Get Therapeutic with Reliefband

Reliefband Technologies just unveiled a variety of therapeutic wearables that have received expanded clearance from the FDA.

Nominations for the Class of 2020 will be accepted beginning March 3, 2020

Commission Tapped to Elect 2020 Hall of Fame Inductees

Who's who of packaging and processing align to pick top honor.

Technology investments will focus on improvements in safety technology and efficiency.

Top Supply Chain Issues in 2020

Supply chain and logistics professionals will be focusing on labor issues and new technology in 2020, particularly those that improve safety and efficiency.

Artificial Pancreas

Quick Hits: FDA Approves Artificial Pancreas

The Control-IQ artificial pancreas device for people living with Type 1 diabetes was developed at the University of Virginia.

Hormel, Barry-Wehmiller Early One Voice Ready Certification Adopters

To close the industry’s workforce development and skills gap, PMMI’s OpX Leadership Network recently launched its new One Voice Ready certificates, an assessment-based program based on knowledge of specific industry solutions and best practices.

Dementia Vaccine

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Inspired by the water-repellent lotus leaf, the wrap can be used as packaging or can be shrink-wrapped onto surfaces to fight the spread of MRSA, salmonella and more.

Anti-Microbial Wrap Offers Promise from Hospital to Kitchen

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Just one box of Plumpy’Nut—containing 150 packets of a peanut-based high-energy therapeutic food that treats severe malnutrition—is enough to bring a child from the brink of death to healthy development.

Automation Helps Non-Profit Reach More Starving Children

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Hp 104776 Eck Syringes Sidebyside

Counting Down the Top 10 Articles of 2019 - #1: Taking Aim at Deadly Pediatric Medication Errors

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