The Times They Are a-Changin'

Hundreds of thousands of law enforcement cases remain unsolved in the United States, many of which have run cold for decades. Traditional forensic methods are unable to generate credible leads from the messy, often undetectable, DNA evidence left behind, and the DNA that is successfully tested matches with a known person only a fraction of the time. As a result, countless investigations go unresolved every year, leaving victims without closure and perpetrators without accountability.

I started this email newsletter early last year to share some of the exciting successes in solving cold cases, made possible by advanced DNA testing. My company, Othram , is the world’s only laboratory purpose-built to combine genome sequencing with advanced human identification applications. The laboratory, based in The Woodlands, Texas, is also the only facility in the United States or Canada offering end-to-end, in-house processing from forensic evidence to investigative leads. Over the last three years, this technology has helped law enforcement crack cases at the local, state, and federal level, many of which had been unsolved for decades.

The future is here. Science is no longer the barrier to solving more cases. At Othram, we can access evidence from most cases. The new challenge is resourcing and funding. It is a challenge we are working to address over the next few years and I would be grateful for anyone that wants to join us in helping bring this technology to all families that would benefit from it.

I will be winding down this newsletter in the coming weeks, but for those that want to continue to receive updates please join me at my new email newsletter .

Come gather 'round people, wherever you roam And admit that the waters around you have grown And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone If your time to you is worth saving Then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone For the times, they are a-changin'