--- description: The police matched DNA from the crimes to the suspect title: How an Online DNA Service Revealed the Suspected Golden State Killer image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt160251ea3b086cc6/69892eae929fade775bf0608/golden-state-killer.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Crime](/tag/crime/) ## Crime Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How Did They Catch the Golden State Killer? An Online DNA Service and His Genetic Relatives Revealed the Suspect by [Abigail Abrams](/author/abigail-abrams/) ## Abigail Abrams Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 26, 2018 11:40 PM CUT  Law enforcement drawings of a suspected serial killer believed to have committed at least 12 murders across California in the 1970's and 1980's are displayed at a news conference about the investigation, in Sacramento, Calif. in 2016 Law enforcement drawings of a suspected serial killer believed to have committed at least 12 murders across California in the 1970's and 1980's are displayed at a news conference about the investigation, in Sacramento, Calif. in 2016Rich Pedroncelli—AP by [Abigail Abrams](/author/abigail-abrams/) ## Abigail Abrams Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 26, 2018 11:40 PM CUT The key that allowed police to catch the Golden State Killer decades after his notorious spree of rapes and murders turned out to be a consumer genealogy website. Police said Thursday that they used DNA from crime scenes and referenced it against an online genealogy database, according to the [New York _Times_.](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/26/us/golden-state-killer.html "undefined") This led investigators to relatives of [Joseph James DeAngelo](http://time.com/5254793/golden-state-killer-caught-suspect-joseph-james-deangelo-police/ "undefined"), the suspect who [police arrested](http://time.com/5254604/golden-state-killer-arrest/ "undefined") on Tuesday. Officials found someone who was the right age and lived near Sacramento, where the attacks started in the 1970s. They then obtained DNA samples that DeAngelo had left in a public place, according to the _Times_, and confirmed that his DNA matched more than 10 murders across California. Police followed up by obtaining another DNA sample that also matched the profile. Prominent home DNA testing companies such as 23andMe told the newspaper that they were not involved in helping police identify the killer. Genetic testing has become more accessible in recent years, as companies have [marketed at-home kits](http://time.com/5063464/23andme-dna-ancestry-test/ "undefined") that allow people to scan their genes from a spit sample. The versions aimed at consumers don’t typically sequence all base pairs of a person’s DNA, instead focusing on specific sections with strong information. This is why they often reveal information about where someone is from but cannot test for all medical conditions. Many questions remain about the Golden State Killer, also sometimes known as the East Area Rapist. Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office told the [Los Angeles Times](http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-dna-golden-state-killer-20180426-story.html "undefined") that more details about the DNA would be discussed during a court hearing on Friday. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5256835/how-did-golden-state-killer-genealogy-websites-online-dna-police/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5256835/how-did-golden-state-killer-genealogy-websites-online-dna-police/"},"headline":"How Did They Catch the Golden State Killer? 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