SIUE Expert Weighs In on DNA Advances That Could Crack Decades-Old Cold Case
Posted June 8, 2026
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville criminal justice studies professor Trish Oberweis, PhD, is offering expert perspective on how advances in forensic DNA technology could help solve the nearly 40-year-old homicide of LaDonna L. Cooper, according to coverage from WSIL-TV News 3.
Oberweis, who specializes in cold cases, explained how modern techniques like forensic investigative genetic genealogy — the method that helped identify the Golden State Killer — can help investigators narrow the field of potential suspects using DNA from relatives in public databases. She cautioned, however, that building a usable profile from decades-old evidence is a lengthy process, and that cases this old carry added challenges around witness availability that extend well beyond the lab.
