On Tuesday 24 2018, after about 40 years, Joseph James DeAngelo is finally arrested on account of being the “Golden State Killer,” who is linked to 12 murders and over 50 rapes. These tragic events occurred from 1976 through 1986 across Northern and Central California. They found the suspect by entering DNA from a crime scene through the free genetic database GEDmatch and it matched with a relative of DeAngelo. Then they were able to correctly match the crime scene DNA with DeAngelo using his discarded DNA. This method brings out ethical and privacy issues of investigating crimes using people’s genetic information.
Of the many murder cases against him, there are even more instances of sexual assault. However, due to the statute of limitations on rape that still existed during DeAngelo’s actions, he may not be able to be prosecuted with sexual abuse. The statute of limitations on rape was eliminated a few years ago but it only applies to crimes committed after January 1, 2017. In the other hand, there is no statute of limitations on murder, so the Golden State Killer will be able to be convicted of murder.
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| Joseph James DeAngelo |
Discussion Questions
1. Should authorities be allowed to use people’s information in a genetic database to solve crimes?
2. Is it fair that DeAngelo could not be charged with rape? Explain. How would the victims feel?
I believe that authorities should be allowed to use people's information in a genetic database to solve crimes because as the old saying goes, "If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about". As long as law enforcement only uses this information to match DNA, as in to see if crime scene and database DNA are similar, than it is fine. This information is bringing people to justice and bringing closure to victims. It is a different story if data is not used accordingly as that would be bypassing people's right to have privacy. For the second question, I think that it is wrong for DeAngelo to not be charged with rape but in the long term it does not matter. While it is sad, there is nothing that can be done and DeAngelo is still being held accountable for the twelve murders. No matter what, he will be locked up for the rest of his life.
ReplyDeleteTo a certain degree, I think that authorities should be able to use people's DNA in order to solve crimes. Even the smallest amount of DNA can be extremely useful in determining who was present at the crime scene. The use of DNA is powerful and accurate, because we can identify a person immediately without trying to track them down with other methods. I think that if a person voluntarily decides to display their DNA online in a genetic database, it's their own decision to expose themselves and become vulnerable to recognition by authorities. If even a little bit of DNA is found near the crime and the perpetrator happens to have their DNA online, discovering who they are will be extremely simple. As for this case, it is astounding to me that DeAngelo could not be charged with rape. The new statute of limitations requires that "the prosecution of a felony sex offense be commenced within 10 years after the commission of the offense." This is ridiculous, why should there be a time limit on justice? A sex offender could get away with sexual assault or worse if he just remained hidden for 10 years. And some say that it doesn't matter for DeAngelo because he is still being held accountable for murder and he will be imprisoned anyway, but what about the people who were sexually assaulted by him? They won't get justice as long as sex offenders are starting to not get charged for rape. And what about the thousands of people in the state who are victims of sexual assault? After ten years, they won't have a chance to have justice on their offenders, as the perpetrator will no longer be charged.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the authorities should be able to use people's DNA in order to solve crimes. AND crimes only. It should be mandatory to get a warrant before you use one's DNA or else there would be possible privacy invasion. Additionally, I do not recommend using DNA as the first method into finding the culprit because it can possibly harm the person identity. They should at least do the basic investigation of the crime scene before they hop right into finding DNA of the culprit. Additionally, agreeing with Brianna and Kyle, it doesn't really matter if DeAngelo is held accountable for rape or not because he has been held with several charges of murder which will sentence himself in prison for the rest of his life. It is completely justified if he was charged with rape for those family members and victims who believe he should charged with rape as the consolation. Even though he would be locked up for the rest of his life, adding several rape charges would ensure the victims safety and it might feel like a non violent revenge. What surprises me in general is that it took the police 40+ years to find the man guilty. It just further shows how the American government can be corrupt in ways. The good thing is though, the "Golden State Killer" will no longer be seen on the streets.
ReplyDeleteUsing DNA to identify suspects is brilliant technology that allows the police to catch the perpetrators. However, the use of people's information in a genetic database should be highly regulated, so that people's privacies aren't violated. Although your genome doesn't determine your entire life, it certainly says a lot about you. If this information is more securely protected, people will be subject to discrimination, especially with health insurance. Though the first article states that the Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act "prohibits health insurance companies from using genetic information to make eligibility, coverage, or premium-setting decisions," there is still a lot that the act doesn't cover. But using genetic databases to solve crimes and bring murderers and rapists to justice is fine.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't understand why there is a statute of limitations on a crime as serious as rape. While Kyle is right that it probably won't matter for DeAngelo because he'll serve plenty of time in prison for murder, there are many rape victims who don't get justice because of this statute of limitations. This isn't fair for the victim, or the victim's family.
No one is making people go online and give up their DNA. It's not like the police went through closed and confidential medical records. I'm positive that sites like GEDmatch have fine print stating that the importation is public for members of the site. Choosing to sign up and giving up information is a personal choice that comes with risks that one needs to agree with. I feel that authorities had to right to search every data base they were legally allowed to look through, which includes sites like GEDmatch. This new collection of information could possibly add evidence to several other unsolved cases. It could be a good things.
ReplyDeleteI believe that using people's DNA for investigative purposes is completely fair and legal, and while it definitely should be regulated, it should also be encouraged. This is a huge aspect of criminology, as DNA is a direct link from the perpetrator to the crime, and not utilizing the clues available with the resources available makes it easier for the criminal to be absolved. Using this resource alone was what stopped a serial killer and serial raper from being free, which is a huge deal, seeing as he was free for decades before finally being caught recently. He's left a lot of pain in many people's lives, and he deserves to undergo the process of prosecution to pay for what he did. However, the fact that he isn't being charged with rape is unjust, because the only reason he isn't is because he just wasn't caught in time for the statute of limitations to not apply. The statute states that rape or sexual assault cases can only be charged on the perpetrator within an allotted time, and because DeAngelo wasn't found within that certain amount of time, he won't be tried for those cases. I'm sure this could make the victims feel as if their pain is unworthy of attention and the "justice" of the American legal system, citing due process.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kyle in that the government is justified in using DNA to solve crimes, because criminals deserve to get caught. The danger come when this power is abused. But the most interesting part of this article is the abolishing of the statute of limitations on rape. Currently, there is an ongoing debate on raising the statute of limitations on child molestation. The bill, relatively bipartisan, failed. This, rather unsuprisingly, was due to massive opposition by the catholic church. Why do statutes of limitations exist, and should they apply to all crimes?
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ReplyDeletethink that police should be able to use people's DNA to solve crimes. It has helped to solve many crimes in the past, and has led to the arrest of many dangerous people. It has done much more good than bad, which overrides the concern for privacy. By using DNA to solve murders, many deaths have been prevented. Also, I think that deAngelo should be charged with rape. It is a known fact that he has committed over 50 rapes, which is wrong, and should be punished. Even if he is not convicted of rape, he should still be convicted of more than just murder. He is guilty of more than just murder, and should be punished for that.
ReplyDeleteI think that the DNA should be used in cases that are especially hard to uncover and that it does not reach any privacy issues. The people's DNA that is used in the first place should be used if it is used to make them look guilty or to make them not look guilty and for them to say that it is a violation of their privacy is another way of them saying that they have something to hide. The police is simply finding a way to find the perp that is guilty of doing the crime. Essentially the police is doing them a favor. And in this case, this person has been doing this for years and for the police to finally find this person and to find out how many rapes that this person has done is another help to using DNA.
ReplyDeleteI believe that DNA should be used to solve crimes. I think it should be encouraged, though as Jennifer said, I think it should also be regulated. Using DNA will help authorities solve many cases. I believe that especially in this situation, it was more than justified. What I don't find right is the fact that he will not be charged with rape, though he is clearly guilty of committing those crimes as well. I understand that because he is being convicted for all the murders he will be in jail for a very, very long tie, but it still doesn't give justice to the rape victims. It is not fair to those who have to go through such traumatic events & doesn't give them the voice or recognition that is necessary in such events.
ReplyDeleteI think DNA should be allowed to the authorities if it is being used in the instance of solving a crime, especially if it is regarding one as serious as the Golden State Killer. As can be seen by this case alone, it is a very effective method and would only negatively affect you if you were guilty of something. It is extremely justifiable and is being put to good use. Regarding his sentence in relation to rape, it is extremely upsetting but because of the statute of limitations, makes sense that he could not be sentenced because of it. However, it is great that the statute of limitations on rape has been eliminated because now criminals and serial rapists such as him can be incriminated for their crimes, regardless of how long ago they occurred. Although he is serving time for murder, the fact that none of it is due to his multiple accounts of rape has an effect on his rape victims; it may make them feel as if their traumatizing experiences are not being made up for by the law. This would be agonizing for them personally, to have to go through something as horrible as rape but not seeing your rapist being punished for that specific act.
ReplyDeleteI think for situations like this one, using people's genetic information is ok. If someone murdered 12 people and committed over 50 rapes, then the federal authorities need to do whatever is necessary to bring the perpetrator to justice. Personally, I would not feel safe if I knew there was someone in my neighborhood going on a killing rampage. For the safety of the people in the community, it was vital that the local authorities find a way to find the criminal. If that meant invading people's personal genetic information, it would still be worth it if connections could be made to stop the man causing the situation. About the rape charges however, it is totally wrong that the man is not convicted of rape charges. We cannot let the man sit on trial and receive only half the penalty he deserves if charges can not be made. In certain situations, such as this, there has to be rule allowing charges to be made on multiple accounts of sexual abuse. Hopefully the justice system can find a way to sort the situation out for future cases.
ReplyDeleteDNA can be very helpful to solve crimes for example in cases where a suspect is identified a sample of that person’s DNA can be compared to evidence from the crime scene. The results of this comparison may help establish whether the suspect committed the crime. It could b very useful and accurate and is and should be used for investigating crimes and should be kept private so that there is no discrimination or such while getting a medical insurance or even a job for instance. Even though he was not charged with rape he was charged with 2 counts of murder which is a life time in prison so even though he is not being charged for rape he is being prosecuted.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe DNA should be used. It is really helpful in this field. I wouldn't condone it for ALL purposes. I think thats a violation of privacy. I'm sure many people wouldn't be comfortable with that. The victims and their family and friends would be very upset about the lack of justice in the system. However in this specific case, murder is also involved, so he will be punished regardless.
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