This is the Hidden Killers podcast with Tommy Bruske, featuring special guest and forensic scientist, Dan Crane.

Today, we are focusing on the science that could make or break the case against Brian Koberger.

The role of DNA evidence and investigative genetic genealogy, or IgG.

Koberger's defense team is fighting to exclude DNA evidence collected from the crime scene

and the methods used to identify them, raising a lot of questions about the reliability,

objectivity, and ethical implications of such advanced techniques.

With DNA at the core of this case,, stakes couldn't be higher for both sides,

joining us to break down the science and discuss how DNA is being used in criminal cases like

this, Professor Dan Crane, an expert in forensic bioinformatics, molecular evolution,

and the development of tools to evaluate forensic DNA profiling.

I got through all of that without slipping up.

Dan, with IGG becoming kind of the go-to tool in high-profile cases, how reliable is it?

And where do investigators need to tread carefully to ensure

objectivity and accuracy? Or is a lot of this just kind of, you know, who this could be scary,

but it's really not. Well, those are a lot of big words you just read the doctor. I'm impressed.

The innovation of the teleprompter allows me to use big words now.

So, yeah, so the question here is, what's up with IGG, right?

That's just a pretty simple way to put it.

And it's short for investigative genetic genealogy. And it's a relatively new approach that law enforcement is using to identify

suspects. I think perhaps the first time that I heard it being used in a case may have been

as long as four or five years ago.

So it's the new kid on the block in some sense with respect to forensic DNA testing.

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