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The only tidbit, if true, is the statement of DIRECT CONNECTION to the relatives in MD.
But how. Is this what Othram found through through their Gg. If not, this is just more confusing information
I agree, the dots do not precisely connect up in that story.
However, this paragraph from the People article is interesting:
"Police then conducted further DNA tests that came up with results of a possible relative of the unknown person. After an “investigation into the family lineage,” police were able to identify Martinez-Hernandez as the suspect."
To begin with, we heard very early on that he was linked to the LA case.
So, they may have already been looking for him with the DNA from that case.
Either way, I think that when they put his DNA into CODIS, they found a match with a close relative: say, a cousin or some such, who had been sentenced in the past. This 'cousin' or whoever, was from El Salvador.
If it turned out that way, I think LE (FBI) used a strategy of interviewing the family members about the family tree - in the US and then in El Salvador - and collecting DNA samples. Then they finally matched to a direct relative in El Salvador (parent or sibling), and learned which members of that family were living in the US, and with which relatives. At that point, they collected actual DNA from his hosts, and they'd got him.
Though, to be sure, once they located him, they'd need to collect a sample directly from him to be sure.
JMO
ETA, on second thought, I wonder whether they were collecting voluntary DNA from relatives, or just collecting it, since surely word would get back to him.