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Sweden: man goes on trial for 2004 murder after DNA matched to genealogy site:
A 37-year-old Swedish man has gone on trial for double murder after two killings that went unsolved for more than 15 years until police matched his DNA on a popular genealogy website.
Daniel Nyqvist, who confessed to the crime shortly after his arrest last June, has been charged with the 2004 murder of a 56-year-old woman and an eight-year-old boy.
The two victims – who were unrelated – were stabbed in a random act in the quiet southern Swedish town of Linkoping [sic Linköping].
The crime shocked the nation, with investigators unable to come up with either a perpetrator or a motive, despite finding the suspect’s DNA at the scene, the weapon that was used, a bloody cap and witness descriptions of a young man with blond hair.
Police even called upon the FBI for help, but to no avail. Over the years, the case file grew to become the second biggest in Sweden’s history, after that of the 1986 murder of former prime minister Olof Palme.
The case was finally cracked when new legislation in January 2019 allowed police to search for matches to suspects’ DNA on commercial genealogy websites, which are popular among Swedes seeking long-lost relatives.
[...] “We received a match almost immediately. And several months later, the suspect could be arrested. His DNA was taken and matched 100%,” police said in a statement the day after his arrest.
How much might other repositories uncover, and are any fundamental freedoms violated by so trawling?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday September 21 2020, @11:07PM (11 children)
I can understand how you might misplace a relative in China, Russia, Canada, or the US. Sweden? Come on people, Sweden isn't THAT big!
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 21 2020, @11:48PM
A young man with blond hair? I mean sure that eliminates female portion of the population, but that's still a lot of matching descriptions!
(Score: 2) by looorg on Tuesday September 22 2020, @12:08AM (5 children)
It's fairly big size/land wise, it just doesn't have a lot of population. The country to a big hit in the mid to late 1800:s when over a million people left for the USA -- which is why you have so many blond people that speak with the Fargo accent in the states that share a border with Canada.
Considering that everyone that is born in Sweden since 1974 (or was it 1975? I forget) are blood registered in a science and research register (PKU-registret) I would say it fairly high or likely if it was allowed to be trawled, but it's not. But you never know in the future, they have already done exceptions a handful of times when the Police have been allowed to look.
That said this "news" is just the local version of or comparable to how they found the Golden State Killer in the USA, which has been previously discussed here I'm sure. Relatives submit DNA sample to Genealogy-database and then you get a relative match and then you just start comparing that to all your suspects.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday September 22 2020, @12:28AM (4 children)
You know what would be really crazy? The authorities - here, there, or anywhere - find the bad guy based on DNA evidence. Then he hits them with an iron clad alibi. "I was employed in $nation 5,000 miles away at the time this crime took place." And, the alibi checks out no matter how they juggle the facts.
I'm kinda waiting for a trial to be derailed like that, to see what happens.
"Well, Sir, we can see that you're innocent, but you have to tell us who uses your genes when you're not wearing them!"
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 22 2020, @01:49AM
It's already happened with DNA transfer: https://www.wired.com/story/dna-transfer-framed-murder/ [wired.com] . Basically every time that you touch something you might leave DNA behind, even on other people.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday September 22 2020, @01:54AM (1 child)
7.5 billion people on the planet, it's only a matter of time before the odds catch up with the DNA matching statistics.
The birthday problem is a real bitch.
🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by shrewdsheep on Tuesday September 22 2020, @07:18AM
DNA evidence is usually much less convincing than you might think. A population of even 500.000 makes unrelated match quite likely. How convincing is DNA evidence? [nature.com]
(Score: 4, Insightful) by pipedwho on Tuesday September 22 2020, @01:57AM
I can see it now:
Detective: we matched your DNA 110%, so good a match that it matches you with enough leeway for a +/-10% error and we still have a perfect match. So do you have an alibi for 8pn on the 16th of March, 2004.
Suspect: Holy shit man, that was more than 16 years ago. Let me just check my TikiTok, no Instagram, no Facebook..., damn. Oh wait, my diary... ah, yeah, here it says I was with my besties Bob and John at the pub at the time of the murder. See it couldn't have been me!!! There's your proof!
[a couple of hours later]
Detective: so Bob, John, I'm just verifying your whereabouts and who you were with at 8pm on the 16th of March, 2004.
Bob & John: Gee, fucked if we can remember what we were doing on any given day 16 years ago.
Detective: So Mr Suspect, looks like your alibis have come up a bust. Any other evidence you might have to prove your innocence?
Suspect: Not really, it's pretty hard to prove a negative.
Detective: You see, once the jury sees this 110% infallible DNA evidence they'll surely convict.
Suspect: What about innocent until proven guilty?
Detective: Pffft. Think about all the extra work the police would have to do if it were that way around.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday September 22 2020, @01:52AM (3 children)
Take a train from Stockholm to Kiruna and back, then tell me how big Sweeden isn't.
🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday September 22 2020, @03:09AM (2 children)
OK, I'm willing. Can you get me an airline ticket to Stockholm? And, uhhhh - I'd rather ride a bike than take a train. I was traumatized by a train when I was 19, and my tailbone still aches some days. But, hell yeah, looks like a great ride. Hmmmm - 772 miles? I can do that in two or three days if I have to, but I'm going to take about 3 weeks!
“I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 22 2020, @05:09AM
Therein lies a tale, the tale of how Runaway tried to have sexual congress with a train.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday September 22 2020, @01:42PM
I did this back in 1989, but only through Germany and Denmark. When I was entering Denmark I met a guy who was "going all the way" into the huts of northern Sweden - in the summer. My Hamburg - Odense - Romo loop took 3 weeks, and somehow it was against the wind the entire way around the loop.
🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]