(A Non-fiction Favorite) The Forever Witness: How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder | A Visit to Rough Draft Bar & Books
A treat for a true crime junkie and a drink for a historic bookstore.
Book description: A young couple is murdered while on a trip to Seattle in the 1980s. There was no murder weapon, no witnesses, and no leads.
The case sat cold for decades.
Almost 30 years later, a genetic genealogist discovered an unusual way to use DNA uploaded to the internet by private citizens- solving crimes. A cold case detective and the genealogist team up to see if they can solve the Seattle case, unleashing a significant ethical debate on consent and privacy of DNA.
I am a MAJOR fan of true crime. Podcasts, documentaries, whatever I can get my hands on.
Did Adnan Syed do it? You tell me.
Who was guilty in To Live and Die in LA? I can tell you because they FOUND OUT ON AIR.
Anyway, I knew I would like this book.
This was like a true crime podcast to the max. So many details, deep dives, and additional cases were referenced. The writing was great, fast, and even the science-y chapters were easy to understand.
That being said it was hard to get through certain parts. I think it would be wise to use your gut on if this book would be for you. I love true crime for the story of how they solve the case- but there are a lot of harrowing murder details, from multiple cases, to get through in this book.
I think podcasts are a quick listen for me, but immersing myself in a whole book about crime was a lot to take. I enjoyed it, but I needed a palette cleanser after (Hi, Emily Henry).
Still, this became one of those reads that I brought up to anyone who would listen. Such an interesting story and argument for using private DNA to solve murder cases. If you upload your personal DNA to an ancestry website, should anyone be able to look at it and use it?
Honestly sign me up. Geneticist can use my information all they want if it means major crime mysteries can be answered. And if I can get a good podcast/book out of it, even better.
But spoiler- a lot of people don’t feel the same way. And I do understand why. In a world where hardly anything we do is kept private, can we really not even draw the line with our own genes?
My rating: 4/5
Content Warning: graphic descriptions of violence
Want to talk true crime with me? Read the book already or are thinking about it? Comment below, I want to hear from you!
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Last week I visited Rough Draft Bar & Books in Kingston, NY. Such a cool area to be in, as it’s located on the historic ‘four corners’, which is the oldest intersection in America. All four buildings there were built pre-revolutionary war.
And Rough Draft is an absolute gem. They have a great selection of coffee, beer, wine, treats… oh and books. So many books. You can tell this is a place that people love to gather and hang out. Book clubs were happening, people were working, couples were on dates, and big discussions were being had. Basically everything you’d want in a community book space.
In case you missed it, here are some notes from the past couple of days! One of them…went a little viral this weekend. If you found me from that note, welcome! I’m so happy you’re here and so grateful to meet so many new substackers. Connect with me and find more notes here.
