Citation

Wickenheiser RA. Forensic Sci. Int. Synergy 2019; 1: 114-125.

Affiliation

Laboratory System Director, New York State Police Crime Laboratory System, 1220 Washington Ave, Building 30, Albany, NY, 12226-3000, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.fsisyn.2019.07.003

PMID

32411963

PMCID

PMC7219171

Abstract

A case study will be used to examine specific issues of bioethics and forensic science that occur in forensic investigative genealogical searching, which include genetic privacy, discrimination and public safety concerns. The forensic investigative process and various investigative DNA tools will also be described. The Golden State Killer Case (1) will be examined to highlight and discuss forensic ethical issues to develop an ethical framework, as well as provide recommended solutions to pressing public safety and privacy issues facing crime laboratories and criminal investigators. Use of the ethical concept of proportionality (2) will be utilized to contrast and balance competing ethical concerns.

© 2019 The Author(s).

Language: en

Keywords

Ancestry; Bioethics; Ethnicity; Familial searching; Forensic DNA; Forensic ethics; Forensic genealogy; Forensic science; Genealogical searching; Genealogy; Investigative genealogy; Partial matching; Phenotyping; Proportionality