Modern technologies such as facial recognition open up new methods of investigation for criminals. But does the end justify the means? An example from the US scares data protection advocates – and paints a dystopian picture of a terrible, brave new world.
Maria Jane Weidhofer, according to her former classmates, was “a free-spirited artist and baker who loved life and worked hard to stay healthy by jogging every day in the hills of the East Bay.” But one of her daily runs at Tilden Park in Berkeley, California, ended horribly when, in November 1990, at just 32 years old, she was raped and strangled, and her body left on the side of her favorite trail, the popular Nimitz Way Trail.
Using DNA on the face
Despite the offer of a $10,000 “bounty,” the search for a perpetrator was unsuccessful and the case was filed as a “cold case.” Until investigators from the East Bay Regional Park District Police Department came up with the idea nearly thirty years after the crime to send DNA traces collected at the crime scene to Parabon Nanolabs – a company that advertises that it can create a matching study. face based on genetic data to quickly solve even the most difficult cases.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
