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Seattle police use family DNA, latest science to identify killer 52 years later

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Re: Seattle police use family DNA, latest science to identify killer 52 years later

#11

Post by skookumchuck »

stirlo wrote: post #6
verisimilitudes wrote: post #2

I find it disconcerting that someone's remains would be violated due to being a murder suspect. This is one of many reasons to have your remains cremated, I suppose. It also avoids wasting space in a graveyard and whatnot. I'm beginning to seriously hear people discuss that it's perfectly okay to use DNA people submit in these ways and even that it would be okay for the government to collect trash and other things th…

When you take a life you forfeit any more rights you have, if there’s probable cause and a warrant and it can bring closure to the victims then it’s 100% acceptable.

> When you take a life you forfeit any more rights you have

When you're convicted of it. Not before.

> bring closure

This seems to be a very recent thing. First off, I don't think the justice system is meant to "bring closure" to the victims, whatever that means. And secondly, if someone close to me was murdered, I seriously doubt that "closure" would make me feel any better about it.

Re: Seattle police use family DNA, latest science to identify killer 52 years later

#12

Post by mikeash »

maxerickson wrote: post #9
mikeash wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you’re dead, what do you care what happens to your remains? I see no problem with exhuming a corpse to solve a murder case as long as there’s probable cause and a warrant, which there was here.

I agree with you about not caring, but I wonder if you've really not noticed that lots of people do care about how remains are handled?

I have, but I’m still going to question it when someone bases a comment on it.

In any case, the second half of my comment should apply just as well for such folks. We allow much worse things with a warrant, even from that perspective.

Re: Seattle police use family DNA, latest science to identify killer 52 years later

#13

Post by oaththrowaway »

stirlo wrote: post #6
verisimilitudes wrote: post #2

I find it disconcerting that someone's remains would be violated due to being a murder suspect. This is one of many reasons to have your remains cremated, I suppose. It also avoids wasting space in a graveyard and whatnot. I'm beginning to seriously hear people discuss that it's perfectly okay to use DNA people submit in these ways and even that it would be okay for the government to collect trash and other things th…

When you take a life you forfeit any more rights you have, if there’s probable cause and a warrant and it can bring closure to the victims then it’s 100% acceptable.

> When you take a life you forfeit any more rights you have

Does that include the state?

Re: Seattle police use family DNA, latest science to identify killer 52 years later

#14

Post by cachvico »

verisimilitudes wrote: post #2

I find it disconcerting that someone's remains would be violated due to being a murder suspect. This is one of many reasons to have your remains cremated, I suppose. It also avoids wasting space in a graveyard and whatnot. I'm beginning to seriously hear people discuss that it's perfectly okay to use DNA people submit in these ways and even that it would be okay for the government to collect trash and other things th…

Less harrowing than being murdered.

Re: Seattle police use family DNA, latest science to identify killer 52 years later

#15

Post by ebg13 »

skookumchuck wrote: post #11
stirlo wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you take a life you forfeit any more rights you have, if there’s probable cause and a warrant and it can bring closure to the victims then it’s 100% acceptable.

> When you take a life you forfeit any more rights you have When you're convicted of it. Not before. > bring closure This seems to be a very recent thing. First off, I don't think the justice system is meant to "bring closure" to the victims, whatever that means. And secondly, if someone close to me was murdered, I seriously doubt that "closure" would make me feel any better about it.

> When you're convicted of it. Not before.

A warrant does change your rights a bit.

Re: Seattle police use family DNA, latest science to identify killer 52 years later

#16

Post by maxerickson »

saagarjha wrote: post #5

Getting your DNA sequenced is a bit like letting an app have access to your contacts: in both, your choice has consequences for hundreds of other people. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like it’s possible to undo the effects of something your friends/family might have done :/

It doesn't undo anything, but the solution is to work towards a just society.

Re: Seattle police use family DNA, latest science to identify killer 52 years later

#17

Post by berkut »

skookumchuck wrote: post #11
stirlo wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you take a life you forfeit any more rights you have, if there’s probable cause and a warrant and it can bring closure to the victims then it’s 100% acceptable.

> When you take a life you forfeit any more rights you have When you're convicted of it. Not before. > bring closure This seems to be a very recent thing. First off, I don't think the justice system is meant to "bring closure" to the victims, whatever that means. And secondly, if someone close to me was murdered, I seriously doubt that "closure" would make me feel any better about it.

> This seems to be a very recent thing. First off, I don't think the justice system is meant to "bring closure" to the victims, whatever that means. And secondly, if someone close to me was murdered, I seriously doubt that "closure" would make me feel any better about it.

As someone who had a parent murdered ~15 years ago and still doesn't know for certain what happened, I can tell you that personally the fact that I haven't had closure regarding the incident has severely affected my life for the worse.

Re: Seattle police use family DNA, latest science to identify killer 52 years later

#19

Post by iwasakabukiman »

saagarjha wrote: post #5

Getting your DNA sequenced is a bit like letting an app have access to your contacts: in both, your choice has consequences for hundreds of other people. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like it’s possible to undo the effects of something your friends/family might have done :/

That's a good analogy.

At what point does what we're giving up become worth it to solve all these crimes?

I don't have an answer, I'm just wondering.

Obviously solving 1 or 2 crimes isn't worth giving up so much private information. But 10,000? 100,000? Is there even a number?

Re: Seattle police use family DNA, latest science to identify killer 52 years later

#20

Post by BurningFrog »

verisimilitudes wrote: post #2

I find it disconcerting that someone's remains would be violated due to being a murder suspect. This is one of many reasons to have your remains cremated, I suppose. It also avoids wasting space in a graveyard and whatnot. I'm beginning to seriously hear people discuss that it's perfectly okay to use DNA people submit in these ways and even that it would be okay for the government to collect trash and other things th…

There might be good arguments on your side, but this post only brings forth "it makes me feel uneasy", which isn't good enough for me.

For one thing, an unconsidered emotional reaction can often be reversed by thinking things through and hearing good arguments from all sides.

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