Judge has taken his post.
#BryanKohberger has also taken his seat. Kohberger offers a very faint smile, maybe more of an acknowledgement, to his defense attorney when he enters. The defense calls its next witness, Gabriella Vargas, to the stand.
Vargas is from California and is an investigative genetic genealogist.
Vargas is detailing her experience with investigative genetic genealogy, including her own self-taught education on the subject and personal mission to find her biological father which began in 2018.
Vargas worked for Identifiers International, handling murder suspect cases and other violent crimes. She helped law enforcement identify unknown assailants.
She then moved to the DNA Doe Project which takes on adult criminal cases by helping law enforcement identify unknown remains. She worked with the Project for about two years.
She then moved to the DNA Doe Project which takes on adult criminal cases by helping law enforcement identify unknown remains. She worked with the Project for about two years.
Vargas trained new recruits & volunteers, checked their work, made sure documentation was clear & accurate and made sure that the genetic genealogy match was properly situated on a family tree. Vargas says she has worked around 25-30 genetic genealogy cases for law enforcement.
Vargas has never testified in court before & says she was asked if she would testify on behalf of the defense today. Typically law enforcement contacts her directly when they are unable to solve a case. Vargas then evaluates the type of case and if there is viable DNA to use. Vargas will then have the DNA sample shipped to her and to a third-party forensic lab. Vargas will then take over the case until she has provided the investigative lead back to the agency. She shares update on quality checks, sequencing, uploads, processing. Vargas: "The case is mine. It is in my control until I'm done."
Vargas is detailing the painstaking process of her investigative technique and says one case has taken her 14 months to solve.
