Murder In Moscow: Bryan Kohberger And The Family Tree That Led Investigators To Him

Investigators used investigative genetic genealogy to help identify Bryan Kohberger after DNA recovered from the knife sheath found at the King Road crime scene did not initially produce a direct match in law-enforcement databases. Investigators developed a DNA profile from the sheath and used genealogical research to identify people who appeared to be genetically related to the unknown suspect. From there, genealogists built out family trees, working backward through relatives and then forward through descendants until investigators narrowed the possibilities to a much smaller group of men who fit the age, location and other characteristics they were looking for.

That process eventually helped point investigators toward Kohberger, who was living in Pullman, Washington, just a short drive from Moscow. Once he became a focus, authorities began comparing the genealogical lead with other evidence, including the white Hyundai Elantra, cellphone records and surveillance footage. Investigators later obtained trash from the Kohberger family home in Pennsylvania and tested DNA from it, finding a familial relationship consistent with the father of the person whose DNA had been recovered from the sheath. That additional testing strengthened the identification and became one of the key steps that led authorities to arrest Kohberger in December 2022.


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