Fans of true crime stories and cold case files being reopened will appreciate the latest primetime series from ABC News, The Genetic Detective. The show will follow investigative genetic genealogist CeCe Moore and her team as they bring criminals to justice using the microscopic clues left by DNA.
Update (5/15/20): The series premiere was originally scheduled for May 19 but has been moved back to May 26 to make room for a prime-time special, After the Dance with Stephen A. Smith: A SportsCenter Special.
What’s happening:
- ABC News has shared more details about their upcoming primetime series, The Genetic Detective.
- The series follows investigative genetic genealogist CeCe Moore and her work with DNA technology company Parabon NanoLabs.
- Audiences will see how Moore and her team are revolutionizing crime solving by working with police departments and accessible crime scene DNA to help trace the path of a criminal suspect’s family tree, uncover their identity and bring them to justice.
- The Genetic Detective premieres Tuesday, May 26 (10:00 – 11:00 pm ET) on ABC.
About the show:
- In the series premiere Moore works with Seattle’s Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and takes on her first ever cold case as a genetic genealogist – the double homicide of Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg.
- The young couple disappeared in 1987 after taking a ferry from Vancouver to Seattle and were later found miles apart, brutally murdered. With a smattering of clues, but no real leads, the case was cold for 30 years.
- The Genetic Detective will also examine true life cold cases across the country as Moore works with law enforcement including:
- Indiana’s Fort Wayne Police Department
- New Madrid County Sheriff’s Department in Missouri
- Greenville Police Department in South Carolina
- Idaho Falls Police Department in Idaho
- North Carolina’s Fayetteville Police Department
- Utah’s St. George Police Department
About CeCe Moore:
- “For the past decade Moore, a self-trained genetic genealogist, has pioneered genetic genealogy techniques utilizing a growing body of genetic data in conjunction with traditional genealogical records to help adoptees find their birth parents and to solve family mysteries. Since 2018 Moore has used her unique research skills to transform the face of crime solving, helping to identify more than 100 violent criminal suspects.”
What they’re saying:
- CeCe Moore: “I had a growing passion for genetic genealogy and I recognized its power very early on. Yet at the time, in 2010, there was no such thing as a professional genetic genealogist so I had to blaze my own trail in order to make this my full-time career. I knew the potential these techniques had for solving mysteries – really, for any type of human identification. Whether it is an adoptee looking to find their birth parents or helping law enforcement track down a potential suspect, this process provides answers in a new way and helps a family move beyond something that’s painful or has been burdening them.”
Creative team:
- The Genetic Detective is a co-production with ABC News and XCON Productions.
- Co-executive produced by:
- Carrie Cook (ABC News)
- Marc Dorian (ABC News)
- Christopher K. Dillon (XCON Productions)
- Executive produced by:
- Christine Connor
- Produced by:
- CeCe Moore