DNA: Can a Family Member's Genetic Code Help Catch a Killer?
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Police in Los Angeles have arrested Lonnie David Franklin, Jr. in the 25-year-old serial murder case of the "Grim Sleeper." The breakthrough came as the result of a search that's commonly called “familial” DNA, a controversial practice in tracking down criminals. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, guest host Sara Terry examines the privacy issues raised by the practice and the reliability of the results. Also, Log Cabin Republicans challenge "Don't Ask Don't Tell," and it's the passing of an era for the New York Yankees. A look at the life of George Steinbrenner.
Banner image: Suspected killer Lonnie David Franklin, Jr., dubbed the 'Grim Sleeper' for a 13-year break between his strings of 11 murders, is pictured during his arraignment in Los Angeles Criminal Courts on July 8, 2010. Photo: Al Seib/AFP/Getty Images
Making News
Log Cabin Republicans Challenge 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' ()
A federal lawsuit playing out in Riverside County will test the constitutionality of the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. The suit by Log Cabin Republicans comes as the Pentagon conducts a massive study on the issue of gays in the military. Will the issues decided in Riverside render that study moot? Los Angeles Times reporter Phil Willon was in the courtroom today.
Guests:
- Phil Willon: Reporter, Los Angeles Times, @LATimesWillon
Main Topic
DNA: Can a Family Member's Genetic Code Help Catch a Killer? ()
The serial killer known as the "Grim Sleeper" eluded police in Los Angeles for some twenty-five years. But last week the LAPD arrested Lonnie David Franklin, Jr. after making a breakthrough using DNA obtained from the suspect's son, a convicted felon. Only Colorado and California allow the unusual type of detection known a "familial," or mitochondrial DNA. Will the Grim Sleeper case lead to increased use of familial DNA searches by law enforcement agencies? What rules govern how genetic material can be used for tracking down criminals? What privacy rights are at risk? Whose DNA winds up in the database that police use to make the check?
Guests:
- Joel Rubin: Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, @joelrubin
- Wayne Grody: Professor of Human Genetics, UCLA Medical School
- Peter Neufeld: Co-director of the Innocence Project
- Peter Bibring: Staff attorney with the ACLU of Southern California, @ACLU_SoCal
- Mitch Morrissey: Denver District Attorney
Reporter's Notebook
Legacy of 'The Boss' of the New York Yankees ()
George Steinbrenner has been synonymous with the New York Yankees for nearly forty years and changed the Bronx Bombers forever. The 80-year-old hands-on owner died this morning of a massive heart attack. The man who bought a scruffy baseball team in 1973 left his mark on baseball in more ways than one. Bob Raissman is a sports columnist for the New York Daily News.
Guests:
- Bob Raissman: Sports Columnist, New York Daily News
Underwriters
Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.
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