Golden State Killer, Crypto Convict, Genetic Genealogy - Megyn's "True Crime" Mega-Episode

CeCe Moore, founder of DNA Detectives and chief genetic genealogist at Parabon Nanolabs, pioneered the use of genetic genealogy, starting with limited Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA testing for family history and expanding to autosomal DNA. This shift, initially deemed impossible by scientists due to rapid DNA recombination, was enabled by companies like 23andMe.

Moore explains her early work with Y and mitochondrial DNA, and the transition to autosomal DNA testing, noting scientists' initial skepticism. She credits 23andMe for introducing autosomal-based tests.

Autosomal DNA, inherited from all ancestors, allows for broader family tree exploration. Platforms like GEDMatch and Family Tree DNA, where users voluntarily upload raw DNA data from consumer tests, form the crucial databases for law enforcement. These databases, though smaller than commercial sites, enable cross-company comparisons and the identification of distant relatives of unknown suspects.

Moore details the advantages of autosomal DNA over Y/mtDNA for genealogy, and how GEDMatch was created by friends to allow cross-company comparisons, becoming a key tool for genetic genealogists and later, law enforcement.

The process involves sending crime scene DNA (semen, blood, saliva, touch DNA) to a private lab to create a SNP profile compatible with genealogy databases. Matches, often distant (third, fourth, fifth cousins), are grouped into genetic networks to identify common ancestors. Reverse genealogy is then used to trace descendants, narrowing down suspects by factors like gender, age, and geographical proximity to the crime scene, often supplemented by phenotyping (predicting physical traits).

Moore describes receiving unknown DNA, sending it to a private lab for SNP profiling, uploading to GEDMatch/Family Tree DNA, identifying distant matches, building genetic networks, and using reverse genealogy, location, and phenotyping to narrow down suspects.

The combination of advanced technological evidence (cell phone data, GPS, computer data) and investigative genetic genealogy makes it "virtually impossible" for serial killers to operate undetected today. Even minute DNA samples, like touch DNA or rootless hair, can now yield profiles sufficient for identification, as demonstrated by cases solved decades after the crime.

Moore states, 'there will be no more serial killers because of this,' and explains that modern technology, including the ability to analyze hair without roots and small amounts of touch DNA, leaves criminals with no place to hide.

In the Bryan Coberger case, touch DNA from a knife sheath button, likely from a single male source, was crucial. Law enforcement conducted a "trash pull" at Coberger's father's home, obtaining DNA that matched the crime scene DNA with 99.99996% certainty as the father of the suspect. This paternity match, combined with other evidence like vehicle surveillance, led to Coberger's arrest.

Megyn Kelly and CeCe Moore discuss the single source male DNA on the knife sheath button, the trash pull from Coberger's father's home, and the high certainty of the paternity match, noting its role in the investigation.

John Ramsey seeks to have the remaining minute DNA evidence from his daughter's murder re-analyzed using modern genetic genealogy techniques. Experts suggest a whole genome sequence could extract maximum information, potentially allowing for both family tree reconstruction and phenotyping, despite the risks of consuming the limited sample.

Megyn Kelly reports on John Ramsey's efforts to get the Colorado governor to allow new DNA testing on the limited sample, with Moore affirming the potential of whole genome sequencing and phenotyping for such cases.

CeCe Moore successfully solved the 1975 murder of Lindy Sue Beechler in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 2022. This case, which had gone unsolved for decades, was connected to the Christy Mirat case through shared billboards seeking tips, highlighting the long-term impact of genetic genealogy on cold cases.

Moore recounts how she became involved in the Lindy Sue Beechler case, solving it in 2022 after decades, and noting its connection to the Christy Mirat case through public appeals.

CeCe Moore described a groundbreaking method used when initial genetic genealogy searches yielded only very distant matches (30 centimorgans, equivalent to a tenth cousin). Instead of giving up, she built extensive family trees from these distant matches, eventually finding they all converged on a small town in southern Italy called Gasparina. By researching the migration patterns from Gasparina to Lancaster, Pennsylvania (where the crime occurred) and cross-referencing with local Italian-American club records, she identified a suspect whose family roots aligned perfectly. This suspect, David Senobily, was later confirmed by surreptitious DNA collection to be the killer, having lived in the same apartment building as the victim in 1975.

Moore's detailed account of tracing DNA matches from 30 cM, identifying Gasparina, researching migration to Lancaster, using 'Sons of Italy' membership cards, and finding a suspect with the same address as the victim. The subsequent one-to-one DNA match confirmed the identification.

Moore advocates for the early application of IGG in active crime investigations, not just cold cases. She argues that using IGG as soon as traditional law enforcement databases fail to yield a match can prevent serial killers from escalating, save lives, and make investigations more efficient by quickly focusing on the correct suspect and ruling out innocent individuals. This proactive approach can avoid wrongful convictions and reduce the long-term societal cost of unsolved crimes.

Moore states, 'We will start working more active cases. it'll start stopping criminals in their tracks, keeping serial killers from ever developing.' She cites the Idaho case as an example of early IGG use. She also notes, 'one of the real powers of investigative genetic genealogy is the ability to rule people out.'

Paul Holes details Joseph James D'Angelo Jr.'s progression from a fetish burglar in Visalia (where he committed his first murder) to the East Area Rapist in Sacramento, and finally the Original Nightstalker in Southern California. D'Angelo, a criminal justice major and former police officer, actively learned from his early mistakes. He applied his law enforcement training to become a highly sophisticated predator, using tactics like wearing gloves, ski masks, blinding victims with flashlights, and 'verbal staging'—planting false clues (e.g., mentioning a 'van' or claiming to be from 'Bakersfield') to mislead investigators and victims.

Holes explains D'Angelo's 'evolution of a serial predator' from burglar to killer (01:41:17). He notes D'Angelo 'was a criminal justice major and then of course he was a cop' and 'goes to burglary investigation school,' learning 'how law enforcement is investigating these cases as well as how burglars commit their crimes' (01:42:31). Holes describes 'verbal staging' where D'Angelo would say things like 'you better not tell the cops, you saw my van parked outside' or 'I killed two people down in Bakersfield' (02:09:51). He also mentions D'Angelo's time as a police intern for Roseville PD, a city he later pretended not to know (02:10:41).

D'Angelo was driven by psychological sadism, deriving gratification from the fear and suffering of his victims, rather than physical torture. This was evident in his practice of making terrorizing phone calls to victims years after their attacks and his unique method of psychologically tormenting men by binding them, placing dishes on their backs as an 'alarm system,' and threatening their families while he assaulted their partners. This allowed him to assert power and control, fulfilling a need that intensified after he lost his police authority.

Holes states, 'He was a psychological sadist. You mentioned the fear. That's what he wanted to invoke in his victims' (01:51:24). He recounts D'Angelo calling a victim 24 years later, saying, 'Remember when we played?' (01:51:55). The use of dishes on men's backs as an alarm system and threats to 'kill everything in this house' or 'cut off a piece of his wife' are detailed (02:25:20). Holes adds, 'He really liked the idea of having that power and control over the man while he is being able to sexually assault that man's wife or girlfriend' (02:26:01).

Despite the common myth that serial killers never stop, D'Angelo ceased his violent crimes in 1986, living a seemingly normal life as a family man and grandfather until his arrest in 2018. Holes theorizes that factors such as D'Angelo's increasing age (41 in 1986), physical decline (his crimes were very physical, involving jumping fences), and a particularly challenging attack where he got into a physical fight with a victim, may have contributed to his decision to stop. He compartmentalized his predatory urges, blending back into society.

Holes discusses the 'myth out there is that, you know, serial killers once they start, they don't stop. But we've seen as some of these notorious serial killing cases have been solved, well, these killers do stop' (01:58:51). He mentions D'Angelo's age (41 in 1986) and the physical demands of his crimes (02:41:55). He cites the 1981 Santa Barbara attack where D'Angelo 'got into a physical fight with 6'3 Gregory Sanchez' as a possible turning point (01:59:38).

Joseph DeAngelo exhibited contradictory behaviors during his crimes, such as placing blankets and pillows on victims, and crying after attacks, suggesting an internal struggle or compulsion rather than pure psychopathy. His ex-fiancée Bonnie noted his ability for repeated sexual acts in short timeframes, consistent with his crimes, but not an enjoyment of violence unless victims resisted. He sometimes engaged in 'consensual-type' fantasies during assaults.

Discussion of DeAngelo's actions during attacks, Bonnie's recollections, and the host's and guest's interpretations.

After years of traditional DNA methods failing, investigator Paul Holes adopted a novel genetic genealogy approach in late 2017. This involved converting the killer's DNA from traditional STR markers to SNP profiles, uploading them to public genealogy databases (like those used by Ancestry and 23andMe), and building extensive family trees from distant relatives (third cousins) to identify potential suspects based on age, location, and physical characteristics. This led directly to Joseph DeAngelo.

Paul Holes' account of learning about DNA adoption.com, Barbara Ray Venter's method, the difference between STR and SNP profiles, and the process of building family trees from third cousins born in the 1840s.

The deep immersion into horrific true crime cases can lead to severe psychological trauma for investigators and even dedicated civilians. Michelle McNamara, a true crime writer who became deeply involved in the GSK case, experienced emotional rollercoasters, trauma from victim interactions, and ultimately self-medicated, leading to an accidental overdose involving fentanyl. Investigator Paul Holes also described his inability to enjoy normal entertainment due to constant case preoccupation.

Michelle McNamara's story, her self-medication, and Paul Holes' personal experience with detachment and the overriding commitment to cases.

Ray Trapani's criminal career, culminating in the Centra Tech crypto fraud, is attributed to a childhood marked by sexual abuse from his stepbrother (ages 8-12), an absent father, and drug addiction starting at age 12. He developed a 'me against the world' mentality and idolized his 'mobster figure' grandfather. This background fostered a talent for exploiting systemic loopholes, first with OxyContin prescription fraud, then a Venmo scheme, and finally the Centra Tech ICO.

Trapani's personal account of childhood abuse, drug use, family influences, and his progression through various frauds.

Centra Tech, co-founded by Ray Trapani, was a multi-million dollar cryptocurrency fraud that thrived in the largely unregulated crypto market. The company made bold, false claims about a crypto debit card, a fake CEO, and nonexistent partnerships. An accidental endorsement from a crypto guru, Cliff High, who confused Centra with a bank, significantly boosted their funding, leading to millions in investments before the fraud was exposed.

Johnny's description of unregulated markets as 'chumming the water for sharks,' Trapani's admissions of lies, the fake CEO, the lack of Visa/Mastercard, and the story of Cliff High's mistaken article.

Centra Tech's founders created fake LinkedIn profiles for all employees, falsely claiming they attended Harvard Business School. When pressed for a CEO, they invented 'Michael Edwards,' using a random 'old white man' photo from Google and fabricating a Harvard MBA and experience at Wells Fargo and Chase. They even published a fake obituary for Edwards when the New York Times began investigating.

Ray states, 'everybody create a LinkedIn and we all created those LinkedIns separately in different houses and then we all put Harvard' (04:14:44). Johnny adds, 'Michael Edwards was a fake CEO... they Googled old white man and found the first photo, slapped it up on LinkedIn... said he went to Harvard also' (04:27:03). Ray confirms, 'We completely created him from scratch. The photos for Michael Edwards were just taken off Google. We just looked up old white guy' (04:28:50).

The company paid high-profile celebrities like DJ Khaled and Floyd Mayweather to promote Centra Tech. These endorsements, despite being paid promotions, were incredibly effective in attracting investors due to the perceived legitimacy and reach of the celebrities.

Ray explains, 'we just basically reached out for an endorsement through their managers... you just pay them and you give them a script and they say whatever you want them to say' (04:21:41). He adds, 'if Floyd Mayweather we gave him a million dollars, we were going to make five million the next day' (04:23:28).

Centra Tech actively paid off crypto journalists and influencers who were questioning the company's legitimacy. This tactic effectively turned negative coverage into positive or neutral reports, demonstrating the corruptibility of some figures in the crypto media landscape.

Ray states, 'every single one of the people that are promoting crypto, they all are just doing it in for greed... we just paid off either a few thousand, 5,000, 10,000, whatever it took to get those taken down' (04:25:51).

Despite a damning New York Times article and a failed live demonstration of their app, South Korean investors injected an additional $15 million into Centra Tech. Ray Trapani interprets this as evidence that these investors were likely involved in criminal activities themselves, seeking to launder money or profit from the fraud, rather than being genuine, deceived investors.

Ray recounts, 'right away they just send $5 million... the app didn't work but they still invested. And the only take that I could get from that is that that money was also criminal proceeds' (04:33:37). He adds, 'everybody's complicit at that point' (04:34:16).

Ray Trapani's involvement in Centra Tech, coupled with a severe Xanax addiction (20 pills/day), led to his arrest and subsequent cooperation with the government. His commitment to sobriety, becoming a drug counselor, and demonstrating remorse resulted in a time-served sentence, contrasting sharply with co-founder Sorby's eight-year prison term due to continued misconduct.

Ray states, 'I was taking 20 Xanax a day, like 40 milligrams of Xanax every single day the whole time I was running Centra' (04:19:23). He later says, 'this case saved my life. Like if I wasn't arrested there, I was dead within probably the next couple months' (04:49:59). He explains his sentence was due to the government believing he 'was never going to commit another crime' (04:42:58), unlike Sorby.