To Solve a Cold Case, French Police Bent DNA Privacy Law
Summary
This episode examines how French police solved the "Predator of the Woods" cold case by bypassing strict European privacy laws to use U.S. genetic genealogy databases. Host Jessica Mendoza and correspondent Matthew Dalton discuss the tension between law enforcement’s desire to solve violent crimes and Europe’s robust data protection norms. The story highlights the arrest of suspect Bruno Lambrich-Gonsalvo and the ongoing legal debate over regulating this investigative technique in France and across Europe.
Topics discussed
The Predator of the Woods: France's notorious cold case
Sponsors: Harvey AI and Indeed
How genetic genealogy solved the Golden State Killer
European privacy laws vs. US DNA testing norms
French police bypass laws to use US DNA databases
Sponsors: Optum and Anthropic
Precedent: Sweden's use of genetic genealogy
Tracing the suspect through massive family trees
Arrest and suicide of Bruno Lambrish-Gonsalvo
Legal challenges and future of DNA forensics in Europe
Outro and sponsors: Benjamin Franklin Plumbing and Stamps.com
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