Podcast
DNA: ID
Hosted by AbJack Entertainment · EN
We all hear stories almost daily now about cold cases being solved by investigative genetic genealogy. This new crime-solving tool answers the "who" question about these often decades-old crimes... but what about the why? This podcast will look at crimes solved by genetic genealogy, and examine the connection - if any - between the victim and the killer, and why the crime occurred. Each case is unique, and has its own story behind the headline. Join us for DNA: ID. New episodes will come out every other week on Mondays.
46episodes
Episodes
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Doe ID: 'Charlotte Walmart John Doe' Kenneth McCarthy
Feb 200:31:17Summary readyEpisode 175 Doe ID: 'Charlotte Walmart John Doe' Kenneth McCarthy In 2016, a John Doe was found behind a WalMart in Charlotte, NC. With no identification and very few personal possessions, he remained unidentified, known only as Charlotte WalMart John Doe. When a cold case detective took a class on IGG analysis, he applied the new technique to Charlotte WalMart John Doe's case, and found relatives who had been looking for him for 12 years. This is the story of Kenneth Robert McCarthy. To listen to every episode of DNA: ID ad-free and get other benefits, simply visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Of course, you can also support DNA: ID with a Patreon subscription. Follow us on social media; find all of our social media links in one spot at our Linktree: linktr.ee/dnaidpodcast Visit this link to buy DNA ID Merch ©2026 AbJack Entertainment -All rights reserved. This content is the sole property of AbJack Entertainment. Any unauthorized re-selling, re-purposing, or re-distribution, is strictly prohibited, and will be subject to legal action.
SummaryBarbara Villarreal Part 2 of 2
Jan 2600:46:40Summary readyEpisode 174 Barbara Villarreal Part 2 of 2 This is part 2; the conclusion of the Barbara Villarreal case. If you have not listened to part 1 yet, please stop now and listen to part 1 first. To listen to every episode of DNA: ID ad-free and get other benefits, simply visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Of course, you can also support DNA: ID with a Patreon subscription. Follow us on social media; find all of our social media links in one spot at our Linktree: linktr.ee/dnaidpodcast ©2026 AbJack Entertainment -All rights reserved. This content is the sole property of AbJack Entertainment. Any unauthorized re-selling, re-purposing, or re-distribution, is strictly prohibited, and will be subject to legal action.
SummaryBarbara Villarreal Part 1 of 2
Jan 2601:02:40Summary readyEpisode 174 Barbara Villarreal Part 1 of 2 In this Season 6 opener, you'll hear the jaw-dropping, twisty case of Barbara Carr Villarreal. Barbara was stabbed to death in her Garland, TX home in 1986. Her husband was also attacked in the home invasion. But stories and evidence did not match up, and police were left chasing their tails, and chasing their prime suspect who was in the wind. Nothing in this case was as it seemed to be, and justice for Barbara seemed unattainable. Modern investigators had to solve an identity theft case to find the true name of the person they believed was behind Barbara's murder, and then had to use kinship testing to finally name her murderer. We'd like to thank the following sponsors in this episode: Masterclass- Learn from the best to be the best. Listeners of DNA ID will receive an additional 15% off any annual membership at masterclass.com/DNAID Mint Mobile- Premium wireless plans starting at just $15 a month. Listeners of DNA ID will receive 50% off unlimited premium wireless at Mintmobile.com/DNAID Thrive Market- The 'No Junk food' grocery store. Listeners of DNA ID will get 30% off their first order plus a free $60 gift by visiting Thrivemarket.com/DNAID To listen to every episode of DNA: ID ad-free and get other benefits, simply visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Of course, you can also support DNA: ID with a Patreon subscription. Follow us on social media; find all of our social media links in one spot at our Linktree: linktr.ee/dnaidpodcast ©2026 AbJack Entertainment -All rights reserved. This content is the sole property of AbJack Entertainment. Any unauthorized re-selling, re-purposing, or re-distribution, is strictly prohibited, and will be subject to legal action.
SummaryDNA ID Replay Kim Bryant and Diana Hanson
Jan 1901:20:49Summary readyEpisode 173 DNA ID Replay Kim Bryant and Diana Hanson While Jess is on winter break preparing new episodes of DNA ID for 2026, we are airing some of our favorite one part episodes weekly in what we call 'DNA ID Replay' episodes. These Replay episodes will air every week while on break with the exception of Christmas week. In this episode, we explore the case of Kim Bryant and Diana Hanson which originally aired in episode 37. 1979 Las Vegas, a weekday morning. 16 year old Kim Bryant was at a Dairy Queen waiting for her ride – and then she was gone. Her body was found a month later, sexually assaulted, beaten and murdered. A notorious serial killer was the only real suspect – he was executed in Texas, but he didn't kill her. When a tip came in in 2019, new testing was conducted on the biological evidence in Kim's case that isolated a male DNA profile. Forensic genealogy led to the name of a suspect, and further testing of his living relatives revealed that he was the killer of Kim Bryant. But naming him also allowed the LVMPD to close another cold case – the 1983 abduction, rape and murder of 22 year old Diana Hanson. The same killer had struck twice – at least. To listen to every episode of DNA: ID ad-free and get other benefits, simply visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Of course, you can also support DNA: ID with a Patreon subscription. Follow us on social media; find all of our social media links in one spot at our Linktree: linktr.ee/dnaidpodcast ©2026 AbJack Entertainment -All rights reserved. This content is the sole property of AbJack Entertainment. Any unauthorized re-selling, re-purposing, or re-distribution, is strictly prohibited, and will be subject to legal action.
SummarySarah Yarborough Part 2 of 2
Jun 9, 202500:46:13Summary readyEpisode 150 Sarah Yarborough Part 2 of 2 This is the conclusion of the Sarah Yarborough case. If you have not yet listened to part 1, please stop now, and go back and listen to that part first. To listen to every episode of DNA: ID ad-free and get other benefits, simply visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Of course, you can also support DNA: ID with a Patreon subscription. Follow us on these social media outlets: Facebook - X FormerlyTwitter - Blue Sky - Tik Tok - Twitch - Youtube - Instagram Find all of our links in one spot at our Linktree: linktr.ee/dnaidpodcast For all things DNA: ID, visit the show's homepage Visit this link to buy DNA ID Merch
SummarySarah Yarborough Part 1 of 2
Jun 9, 202501:11:46Summary readyEpisode 150 Sarah Yarborough Part 1 of 2 There are some case that really grip the community, that undercut the sense of safety and security, and that make people lose their faith in humanity. The murder of Sarah Yarborough was such a case. Sarah was just 16 years old when she was sexually assaulted and murdered in one of the places she should have felt the safest – the grounds of her high school. Not only that, but the crime happened in broad daylight, and there were witnesses who saw her killer. It was impossible that he was not apprehended – but he wasn’t. Despite the groundbreaking use of YDNA to identify the killer’s possible surname, the case remained unsolved for years. When IGG finally provided answers, revealing at long last the name of the man who killed Sarah Yarborough, the Yarborough family and the community of Federal Way, WA breathed a sigh of relief. To listen to every episode of DNA: ID ad-free and get other benefits, simply visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Of course, you can also support DNA: ID with a Patreon subscription. Follow us on these social media outlets: Facebook - X FormerlyTwitter - Blue Sky - Tik Tok - Twitch - Youtube - Instagram Find all of our links in one spot at our Linktree: linktr.ee/dnaidpodcast For all things DNA: ID, visit the show's homepage Visit this link to buy DNA ID Merch
SummaryDoe ID: Kay Adams Medin
Jun 2, 202500:25:02Summary readyEpisode 149 Doe ID: Kay Adams Medin In February 1993, a man walking along Trinidad Head; a rocky promontory beach area near the town of Trinidad in Humboldt County, California, made a shocking discovery. He found what he believed to be a piece of human skull. He contacted authorities who verified his hunch. DNA from the skull fragment would be entered into various databases in an effort to learn the identify of the donor with no luck. Years later, the skull fragment would be connected to another case through DNA. In November, 1987, the Humboldt County Sheriff's dept received an package in the mail from an anonymous sender. It contained human skeletal remains and an accompanying letter provided directions to more human remains near Ammon Ridge Road in Humboldt County. Investigators went to the location, and found more human remains. An examination of teeth found with the remains confirmed that they belonged to 48 year old Kay Adams Medin. She had been reported missing from her Trinity County home by her husband in August 1987. The location in Humboldt County where her remains were found is over 100 miles away from her home. Eventually, Othram Labs did DNA work on the skull fragment found in 1993 at Trinidad Head, and their work led them to ID the skull fragment as belonging to Kay Adams Medin. That skull fragment was found 45 miles from Kay's home. It remains a mystery as to how the skull fragment wound up so far away from the rest of Kay's remains. Theories include that it was carried by flowing water, or that a large bird may have carried it. Police long suspected that Kay Adams was murdered by her husband Nikolas Medin, but they lacked the evidence to prove it. They theorize that he was the anonymous mailer of the package containing Kay's bones, and the letter directing police to more remains. They believe he only directed them to her remains, so she could be declared dead, and he could collect on her life insurance policy. Nikolas Medin died in 2018, and was never charged in connection with his wife's death. While Kay never got the justice she deserved, she at least got her name back, and this is her story. This week's episode is sponsored by Masterclass. MasterClass is the streaming platform that makes it possible for anyone to watch or listen to hundreds of video lessons taught by 200+ of the world’s best. Whether it be in business and leadership, photography, cooking, writing, acting, music, sports and more, MasterClass delivers a world class online learning experience. Video lessons are available anytime, anywhere on your smartphone, personal computer, Apple TV and FireTV streaming media players. Listeners of DNA ID will receive at least 15% off of their subscription when they sign up using our special show link here.
SummaryVelma Nesset Part 2 of 2
May 26, 202501:01:47Summary readyEpisode 148 Velma Nesset Part 2 of 2 This is part 2; the conclusion of the Velma Nesset case. If you have not listened to part 1 yet, please stop now and go back and listen to part 1 first. To listen to every episode of DNA: ID ad-free and get other benefits, simply visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Of course, you can also support DNA: ID with a Patreon subscription. Follow us on these social media outlets: Facebook - X FormerlyTwitter - Blue Sky - Tik Tok - Twitch - Instagram For all things DNA: ID, visit the show's homepage Visit this link to buy DNA ID Merch
SummaryVelma Nesset Part 1 of 2
May 26, 202500:54:46Summary readyEpisode 148 Velma Nesset Part 1 of 2 64 year old Velma Nesset set out on April 19th, 1982, at 4:30 a.m. to walk to her job as a cleaning lady at the Permian Mall in Odessa, TX. When she did not show up for work, people looked for her, and then called the police. Velma’s partially undressed body was found in a drainage culvert under the mall parking lot. She had been stabbed, bludgeoned and raped. The logical suspect, a mentally challenged man who worked at the mall, was tried for her murder. But after that, her case went cold. A Texas Ranger reinvestigation in the mid 2000s isolated a male DNA profile, but the offender was not in CODIS. When he was finally named through IGG, police tracked the man down, and he had quite a story to tell them. According to him, he did not act alone. This week's episode is sponsored by Mint Mobile, and Masterclass. Mint Mobile; wireless coverage your way. Listeners of DNA ID will receive their first 3 months of Mint Mobile service for only $15 when they sign up using our special show link here. MasterClass is the streaming platform that makes it possible for anyone to watch or listen to hundreds of video lessons taught by 200+ of the world’s best. Whether it be in business and leadership, photography, cooking, writing, acting, music, sports and more, MasterClass delivers a world class online learning experience. Video lessons are available anytime, anywhere on your smartphone, personal computer, Apple TV and FireTV streaming media players. Listeners of DNA ID will receive at least 15% off of their subscription when they sign up using our special show link here. To listen to every episode of DNA: ID ad-free and get other benefits, simply visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Of course, you can also support DNA: ID with a Patreon subscription. Follow us on these social media outlets: Facebook - X FormerlyTwitter - Blue Sky - Tik Tok - Twitch - Youtube - Instagram Find all of our links in one spot at our Linktree: linktr.ee/dnaidpodcast For all things DNA: ID, visit the show's homepage Visit this link to buy DNA ID Merch
SummaryDoe ID: 'Dumpster Jane Doe' Laurie Potter
May 19, 202500:57:19Summary readyEpisode 147 Doe ID: 'Dumpster Jane Doe' Laurie Potter On October 5th, 2003, a maintenance worker at at the Country Hills Apartment complex in Rancho San Diego, made a horrific discovery in a dumpster when he found a set of severed legs. It was just the beginning of a shocking and perplexing mystery. The legs were found to have come from an adult woman who was deemed to be a homicide victim. Although police did not find any more of her remains, they did find an important clue; the military-style bag that had held her legs was also recovered, and years later, it would lead to the woman's killer. When police ran out of clues early on, and could not match the legs to any missing person in the area, they buried the remains, but not before collecting DNA from them. Years later, investigators employed investigative genetic genealogy and were able to learn that 'Dumpster Jane Doe' was actually Laurie Potter. She had gone missing from Temecula CA not long before her legs were found in the dumpster. Most troubling to detectives, was that her husband Jack Potter had never reported her missing. They began an investigation of him that revealed surprising details, and a 'concerned neighbor' helped them fill in some blanks. When Jack Potter's DNA was found on the bag which had contained his wife's legs, that combined with his neighbor's story, was enough to arrest him. He pled guilty to her murder, and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. 'Dumpster Jane Doe' now has her name back, it's Laurie Potter, and this is her story. To listen to every episode of DNA: ID ad-free and get other benefits, simply visit our channel page on Apple Podcasts to get started with an AbJack Insider subscription. Of course, you can also support DNA: ID with a Patreon subscription. Follow us on these social media outlets: Facebook - X FormerlyTwitter - Blue Sky - Pinterest - Tik Tok - Twitch - Instagram For all things DNA: ID, visit the show's homepage Visit this link to buy DNA ID Merch
Summary