WASHINGTON (WCAX) – New legislation from Vermont Senator Peter Welch aims to federally fund DNA analysis for solving cold cases.
The Democrat, along with Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, have introduced the Carla Walker Act, named for a Fort Worth woman whose murderer was finally identified 46 years after her death using the technology.
Welch says it will help investigators across the country bring justice to victims and families. “Advancements in forensic DNA technology have revolutionized our ability to combat crime. In Vermont, detectives have been able to use forensic genetic genealogy analysis to help provide answers to families who thought they would never come. We’ve also seen how this technology can be a powerful tool in giving those wrongly accused a chance to clear their names,” Welch said in a statement.
In Vermont, forensic genealogy helped solve Burlington’s oldest unsolved murder. Authorities last year used the technology to identify DNA on a cigarette butt, leading them to the killer of Rita Curran.