Carol's Reviews > I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever

Author, Barbara Rae-Venter's dedication of I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever quickly provides the reason for writing this book. The dedication is to the victims of the crimes described, to those gone, to those who survived; their memories, letting each know they are not forgotten. Rae-Venter also gives love and credit to her son, Christopher Enrys Rae Venter for his encouragement for her to go public with her role in identifying the Golden State Killer.

As a true crime reader for years, and a fairly new DNA/Genealogy enthusiast, this book immediately grabbed my attention. I had read, I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara, Gillian Flynn, et al. which gives much information on the case but doesn't cover all that Rae-Venter's revealed. There are many more cold cases, insights, process, and passion for investigative genealogy in these pages.

Barbara Rae-Venter starts our journey with her journey as a volunteer genealogist who is contacted by Deputy Peter Headley, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office, with the original email headline ”SUBJECT: Unknown Person Search”. This case involves a cold case kidnapping of a female child at the age of two, who was found at the age of five. Determination of her given name, birth date, were not known. As this girl, now a woman in her 30's still does not know her history, there seems to be a suspect in her kidnapping. The suspect may have other victims and solving this crime could give this victim back her identity. Rae-Venter explains that it was only months ago that she had signed up as a search angel with DNAAdoption that helps adoptees learn the skills to find their biological relations using autosomal DNA. The name of the unknown person given by adopted parents is Lisa Jensen. And so, the journey begins, as we follow the methodology and hard work by Rae-Venter, other volunteers, her team, and Deputy Headley in their quest to solve the case.

Rae-Venter describes many other cases in which she researched and found suspects that were brought to trial and convicted. The one most familiar to me was The Golden State Killer crimes. Another was named The Chameleon Killer who turned out also to be The Bear Brook Park Killer, and The Clearfield Rapist. She covers other searches that are not to take a serial killer of the streets. An example is the case of the body of a young boy found by a grass-cutting crew under a bill board in NC in 1998, headlined as The Boy Under the Bill Board.

Rae-Venter also provides much information on DNA, the major DNA vendors, how they differ, the legal question of the using DNA tests being used for the purposes to identify murderers and unknown persons. She also goes into detail of why she chose originally to be anonymous when Joseph DeAngelo, The Golden State Killer is identified. I understand this but am glad she has now gone public and written this book.

To balance some of the more gruesome cases, we learn a bit about what is considered the serendipity of genealogy. Rae-Venter referred to these as Gremlins. In researching the original Lisa project, she has a clue for a French Canadian, with a maternal line that includes the surname Godbot. Unusual surnames can be a godsend or not. At home and not finding the information needed an internet outage sends her to a local history center where she finds a vacant computer. Suddenly, the woman next to her exclaims ”Yes! She cried. I found Lefty Godbot!”. She turned to the woman. “I'm sorry, you found who?” “Lefty Godbot, one of my relatives,” she answered. “I have been trying to find a picture of him forever.” Some will call this coincidence but Rae-Venter mentions a quote credited to Albert Einstein ”Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous.” There are books devoted to stories such as these; serendipitous genealogy.

I wish this book were fiction but it is not. Crimes such as these will continue to happen and continue to need investigation. My DNA is available for law enforcement to use however it may help them. There are parts of the book that are very hard to read, some with graphic descriptions. I applaud those who, like Barbara Rae-Venter give so much of themselves to do this research. It is time consuming and often difficult to digest.

Acknowledgments, Glossary and Index, are provided and worth your time to peruse.

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