For nearly 26 years, a teenage girl found dead in Chelsea, Massachusetts, was known only as ‘Chelsea Jane Doe.’ But thanks to advancements in genetic genealogy, she has finally been identified as Tiffany Bradley, a 16-year-old who loved to draw, dance, and cheerlead.

Breakthrough in Cold Case

The case was cracked using investigative genetic genealogy, a combination of DNA analysis and paper trail research. This technique has been used to solve several high-profile cases, including the identification of the Golden State Killer in 2018.

Bradley’s family had never given up hope of finding out what happened to her. ‘The fact that we are here today is a miracle,’ said Shakirah Wiggins, Bradley’s niece. ‘It is totally amazing that after 26 years, people care enough to give her a name and return her to her family.’

How Genetic Genealogy Works

Genetic genealogy involves building a DNA profile for an unknown person and then using that profile to search for relatives in public DNA databases. In Bradley’s case, a private forensic science company called Othram built a DNA profile for the murdered girl, which was then used to search for relatives.

The FBI used the profile to put together a family tree, which led them to Bradley’s brother and ultimately confirmed her identity. This technique has been used to solve several other cold cases, including the identification of a 10-week pregnant young woman found dead in the Mississippi River in 1975.

The use of genetic genealogy has raised hopes that many more cold cases can be solved. ‘Now, families don’t need to wait years or decades to get answers about their loved ones,’ said CeCe Moore, co-founder of DNA Justice, a nonprofit organization that allows people to upload their genetic profiles to help solve crimes.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.