Genealogy site didn't know it was used to seek serial killer
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The genealogy website used to find the man accused of being California's Golden State Killer had no idea its database was tapped in pursuit of a suspect who eluded law enforcement for four decades, the site co-founder said Friday.
Authorities never approached Florida-based GEDmatch about the case, and Curtis Rogers said law enforcement's use of the site raised privacy concerns that were echoed by civil liberties groups.
The free genealogy website, which pools DNA profiles that people upload and share publicly to find relatives, said it has always informed users its database can be used for other purposes. But Rogers said the company does not "hand out data."
"This was done without our knowledge, and it's been overwhelming," he told The Associated Press.
For the team of investigators tracking the attacker suspected of killing 13 people and raping nearly 50 women during the 1970s and '80s, GEDmatch was one of the best tools, lead investigator Paul Holes told the Mercury News in San Jose.
Officials did not need a court order to access GEDMatch's large database of genetic blueprints, Holes said. Major commercial DNA companies say they do not give law enforcement access to their genetic data without a court order.
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