The retired grandmother cracking cold cases with DNA

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Margaret Press was newly retired from her job as a computer programmer when a detective novel she was reading changed everything. The book was Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton, a fictionalised account of a real case from 1969 about an unidentified young woman found dead in a quarry in California. Reading it, Margaret had a lightbulb moment. Could the same DNA tools people use to trace family history be used to identify the unknown dead and crack cold cases? Margaret was not a scientist or a detective, but she had been dabbling in genetic genealogy, helping her friends and relatives piece together their family trees and find biological relatives. With her new idea, Margaret started talking to anyone who would listen, even as doors closed and sceptics told her it would never work. After teaming up with forensic genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick, Margaret had her first breakthrough. Once it was clear the method could work, requests from law enforcement began to stack up. Together they founded the DNA Doe Project, a non-profit supported by a team of volunteers. Since 2017, the organisation has helped identify more than 150 people. A documentary about the organisations work has been made called Naming the Dead. This episode contains discussion of murder, death and the search for the missing and unidentified. Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: Vibeke Venema and Tom Harding Assinder Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 (Photo: Margaret Press looks into the camera, wearing a black blazer and small golden chain. Credit: Margaret Press)