Rita Tangredi, 31, and Colleen McNamee, 20, 1993-94 ** John Bittrolff ARRESTED **

[Sigh Sister]

That's where he said "suspicious of what?", right? But, unless I'm not understanding something here, LE wasn't suspicious of JB about anything, and had probably given up long ago on these cold cases - JB was nabbed because his brother was arrested, his brother's DNA was a familial match to the DNA taken from the corpses 20 years ago, LE asked the brother "hey, you have any relatives living nearby?", and JB's DNA was the exact match. So - dumb luck, that's how LE scored.

But why would they compare his brother's DNA in the first place? My understanding of CODIS is that only exact matches will generate a hit. If they put the brother's DNA into CODIS, there wouldn't have been a hit.

 

[marie-chantal]

But why would they compare his brother's DNA in the first place? My understanding of CODIS is that only exact matches will generate a hit. If they put the brother's DNA into CODIS, there wouldn't have been a hit.

Could there have been a close enough match to trigger the hit? I know that family members will have similar DNA. I wonder if CODIS is set up to alert LE if there is a partial match or similarity. Anybody know?

 

[Sigh Sister]

Could there have been a close enough match to trigger the hit? I know that family members will have similar DNA. I wonder if CODIS is set up to alert LE if there is a partial match or similarity. Anybody know?

I found this:

" What is a partial match at NDIS?
A: Occasionally a partial match between a forensic profile and an offender profile is observed during a routine NDIS database search. The FBI defines a partial match as a moderate stringency candidate match between two single source profiles having at each locus all of the alleles of one sample represented in the other sample. (See below illustration). A “partial match” is not an exact match of the two profiles. A forensic scientist, when evaluating whether a candidate match is a viable match and should be processed through to confirmation, discovers that the candidate offender profile is, in fact, excluded as the possible source of the profile obtained from crime scene evidence but that, because of a similarity in alleles between the forensic unknown and the candidate offender profile, believes that a close biological relative of the offender may be the source of the forensic unknown."

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/biometric-analysis/codis/codis-and-ndis-fact-sheet

Sounds like this is what happened

 

[topratedsleuth]

Here's an article about familial DNA searches:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/biometric-analysis/codis/familial-searching

As far as GB4 and DNA goes, I'm baffled; I wonder if DNA traces might have been lost due to time and the elements. Certainly I don't recall LE saying anything about DNA evidence relative to the GB4, though they wouldn't be expected to show that card if they had it. And, just to throw it out there, if JB was somehow responsible for all of the murders, just imagine how he and LE would have advanced over time - DNA profiling was brand new in the late 80's and there were no common databases until much later. An SK would, theoretically, be much more careful about what he's leaving behind in the 21st century.

 

[marie-chantal]

I found this:

" What is a partial match at NDIS?
A: Occasionally a partial match between a forensic profile and an offender profile is observed during a routine NDIS database search. The FBI defines a partial match as a moderate stringency candidate match between two single source profiles having at each locus all of the alleles of one sample represented in the other sample. (See below illustration). A “partial match” is not an exact match of the two profiles. A forensic scientist, when evaluating whether a candidate match is a viable match and should be processed through to confirmation, discovers that the candidate offender profile is, in fact, excluded as the possible source of the profile obtained from crime scene evidence but that, because of a similarity in alleles between the forensic unknown and the candidate offender profile, believes that a close biological relative of the offender may be the source of the forensic unknown."

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/biometric-analysis/codis/codis-and-ndis-fact-sheet

Sounds like this is what happened

BBM

Great find! That sounds exactly like what is happening.

 

[topratedsleuth]

I found this:

Sigh Sister, you beat me to the post!

 

[marie-chantal]

Here's an article about familial DNA searches:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/biometric-analysis/codis/familial-searching

As far as GB4 and DNA goes, I'm baffled; I wonder if DNA traces might have been lost due to time and the elements. Certainly I don't recall LE saying anything about DNA evidence relative to the GB4, though they wouldn't be expected to show that card if they had it. And, just to throw it out there, if JB was somehow responsible for all of the murders, just imagine how he and LE would have advanced over time - DNA profiling was brand new in the late 80's and there were no common databases until much later. An SK would, theoretically, be much more careful about what he's leaving behind in the 21st century.

I'm sure they were able to get at least a shred of DNA from the victims? All that burlap...it surely would have trapped some DNA due to its composition. Even the most careful person would still face a high risk of leaving DNA behind when they used the burlap. MOO.

And the sheet/pillowcase/whateveritwas found with one of the Manorville victims would probably have trapped something. Hopefully?

 

[LikeAHunter]

I'm sure they were able to get at least a shred of DNA from the victims? All that burlap...it surely would have trapped some DNA due to its composition. Even the most careful person would still face a high risk of leaving DNA behind when they used the burlap. MOO.

And the sheet/pillowcase/whateveritwas found with one of the Manorville victims would probably have trapped something. Hopefully?

I'm thinking the DNA was more likely from body fluid.

 

[marie-chantal]

According to this article, Bittrolff has a prior record.
http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/crime/article/Police-LI-man-faces-charges-in-2-cold-cases-5637619.php

On Monday, police arrested John Bittrolff, 48, of Manorville on two counts of second-degree murder. Spota said Bittrolff, a construction worker with a record of arrests for grand larceny and assault, was linked to the deaths of two women in the 1990s through DNA evidence. He said Bittrolff's DNA matched evidence found at the crime scene.

 

[LindsayLohan6]

I knew they had DNA for Rita and Colleen because they were positive they were same killer. So many were quick to say the early murders of Rita and Colleen were not connected but I know your thinking twice now. The ministry could be significant...the killer also posted a christian poem by anne weams on the fake facebook. And a charity for pregnant moms on LI who need help.... Gilgo or Manorville

 

[LindsayLohan6]

DUI another nail in the coffin....
A spokesman for Spota said Bittrolff was convicted of assault in February 1994 for a case stemming from 1990, but had no additional details. He also was arrested in 1987 on a grand larceny charge and served 60 days in jail. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while ability impaired by alcohol in 1994.

from same link as marie! Thank u marie^

Many said the lisk would not be a hacker or computer genius. The press are so dumb....they all say no connection to gilgo but no news reports even mention the manorville dumping ground right by his house!

 

[Strmmrgrrl]

From Suffolk County Crims; wonder why they chose November 2nd as the "incident" date for both cases?

Incident
Date:November 2, 1993 12:00
CJTN:66719900K
Arrest
Date & Time:July 21, 2014 06:32
Arrest #:02098214
Officer
Agency:SCPD

Charge Detail Disposition/Sentence
PL 125.25 01
**TOP CHARGE** A Felony, 1 count, Arrest charge, Arraignment charge
DescriptionMurder: Intention

Incident
Date:November 2, 1993 12:00
CJTN:66719900K
Arrest
Date & Time:July 21, 2014 06:32
Arrest #:02098214
Officer
Agency:SCPD
Command:

125.25 01
**TOP CHARGE** A Felony, 1 count, Arrest charge, Arraignment charge
DescriptionMurder: Intention

 

[LindsayLohan6]

What are the odds John Biltrolff killed Rita Tangredi in 1994 and lives in Manorville....then years later Rita's daughter Amanda's best friend Melissa Barthelemy is murdered by a SK who dumps bodies in Manorville? The probability would be nil to zero I'm sure and the likely explanation is these murders are connected....

 

[LikeAHunter]

Regarding the prior arrest record, JB was arrested for driving with ability impaired. Likely making him, at one time, a "drunk white guy."

http://m.greenwichtime.com/news/cri...man-faces-charges-in-2-cold-cases-5637619.php

I might be reaching here, but just saying...

 

[marie-chantal]

Facts in this case:
http://heavy.com/news/2014/07/rite-tangredi-colleen-mcnamee-murder-suspect-john-bittrolff/

According to this, they're investigating him for the Sandra Costilla murder.

Likeahunter-lol....at one time my husband and my brother and my neighbor and most of my friends have been a "drunk white guy", as have literally a million men in NY. Are you guys trying to say that Melissa Barthelemy was chosen because of a second-hand connection to Rita? Then what about the others? There's no evidence at all that this is why Melissa was killed; nor is there any evidence that JB is responsible for GB. If evidence emerges that he is, then perhaps there is something there. Otherwise, I just don't see it.

 

[LikeAHunter]

General thoughts:

I find it both amazingly awesome and completely disheartening that LE found JB the way they did. If his brother hadn't been arrested, they may NEVER have nabbed JB.

Also, as annoying as it is to hear smug Spotta say there is no connection to Gilgo, we can all rest assured that they are questioning the hell out of JB in regards to Gilgo and numerous other murders. LE knew back in the day that they had a SK on their hands. They haven't forgotten that.

That said, this dude has been careful, at least in the last 15 years. A confession may be the only hope LE has.

 

[LindsayLohan6]

BBM

Nor do you. I think it's a serious stretch to say that somehow JB was targeting Amanda by killing Melissa because of Rita.

We are all entitled to our own theories. To me the stretch is believing poor Amanda's Mom was killed by a SK in Manorville and her best friend was killed by a different SK who uses Manorville to dump bodies. That my friends is a stretch...

 

[marie-chantal]

Pardon me, but I can not at this time go researching through the thread. Am I gathering correctly that Rita, who was murdered by this JB guy, has a daughter named Amanda who was good friends with Melissa who was one of the GB4?

They were supposedly FB friends. They both lived in Buffalo, so perhaps that's how they knew each other.

 

[marie-chantal]

We are all entitled to our own theories. To me the stretch is believing poor Amanda's Mom was killed by a SK in Manorville and her best friend was killed by a different SK who uses Manorville to dump bodies. That my friends is a stretch...

That's what the evidence is showing so far, but if you want to believe in something that has not been shown at all to be the case, then have at it. I just really don't think that rumors or theories with no evidence are helpful. Again, this probably should go in the theories and rumors thread until there's some sort of evidence to back this up. At this time, there is not, and numerous reports are stating that LE strongly believes that there is zero evidence to connect these cases.

 

[LINative13]

that is correct