ASSOCIATE Magazine FBINAA Q3-2024

SOLVE THE UNSOLVED; COLD CASES AND BEYOND USING FORENSIC INVESTIGATIVE GENETIC GENEALOGY (FIGG)

RET. MAJOR ED O’CARROLL, NA SESSION 269

A ll the while, back in the United States, in a growing suburban community outside Washington DC, a sexual predator on a random telephone call tricked a young teenage girl into thinking she had won two Hawaii airline tickets on a local radio show. The teen wanted to surprise her mom with a special trip—so without her mother’s knowledge, she got a ride to the radio station located in Fairfax, Virginia in hopes of retrieving the tickets. The predator, who pretended to be a popular local radio DJ, was waiting amongst the cars in the parking lot and called the young teen over. As she neared him, he forcibly abducted her at gunpoint and drove to a secluded area and brutally raped her. After the rape, she was tossed out of the car and the monster fled. Now back in 1987, good old-fashioned police/detective work took the forefront of policing strategies. A stranger attack on a then 14-year-old victim was a big deal in the community, rightfully so. Although, remember there were no cell phones, not surveillance cameras and it took a good ole’ fashion police work to knock on every nearby door to conduct a door-to-door canvass. Thankfully, on this investigation everything was done right. A detective from the Fairfax County Police Major Crimes, Sex Crime Squad was assigned to the case as well as a detective from the Crime Scene Section. Important evidence from the scene and victim was collected, analyzed, and forensically processed. The victim was believed by the patrol officers and arriving detectives. A sketch artist was called in and a composite was created from the detailed account provided by the victim. The public information office put out countless press releases to the community and to local and regional media outlets. This case received lots of public attention. Numerous tips poured into the Crime Solvers hotline and directly to the detective bureau. The year was 1987, when a gallon of gasoline was 95 cents, a dozen eggs was 78 cents and President Ronald Reagan on June 12th of that year delivered his now infamous speech at the Berlin Wall, which included a notable line: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

CATAPULTING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS continued on page 38

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