By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Two days after the 20th anniversary of the double-homicide at the Dolly Madison Bakery outlet store in Great Bend, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation held a press conference outside its Great Bend office to announce new evidence had been found in the case. Tuesday afternoon, KBI Special Agent Cory Latham announced male DNA has been identified on a sample taken from one of the victims.
"Over the past year, KBI agents and forensic scientists conducted an exhaustive review of all the physical evidence that was collected in this case," Latham said. "We focused on technologies that have advanced beyond where they were in 2002, and even beyond after that, especially focusing on areas that can help produce results that would be useful today. As a result of that review and additional testing, we have identified a male DNA on a sample that was collected from the body of one of our victims."
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On Sept. 4, 2002, just before 8 p.m., a delivery truck driver at the bakery notified Great Bend Police about the double-homicide. Inside the shop near the intersection of 10th Street and Harrison were the bodies of 24-year-old Mandi Alexander and 79-year-old Mary Drake.
"A thorough investigation was conducted at the time," Latham said. "We've pored over hundreds of leads, we've interviewed hundreds of individuals, we've spent thousands of person-hours working this investigation, but to date, no individuals have been arrested for this crime. We hope to change that."
The DNA discovered via testing is Y-STR, with the "Y" indicating the genetic material is male, and the "STR" standing for "short tandem repeat." Y-STR samples provide weaker analysis than autosomal STRs. Because the DNA found is only Y-STR, it cannot be entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) most commonly known to the public.
"Y-STRs are useful to us in terms of a direct comparison," Latham explained. "What I mean by that is, we need to have the name of an individual then we'll go ask that individual to give us a sample of their DNA, then we can compare that. It is not a profile we can place into a national database and search at this time. So, while useful, it doesn't help answer the question as to who that person is today. But it's promising, and we hope it will help us in the future."
Given the limited sample available and improved technology, KBI scientists went forward with testing to see if any DNA could be developed.
"We trust the forensic scientists in our laboratory to tell us when the best and most appropriate time is to conduct certain testing because we only have limited amounts of sample to deal with, and if you consume them now, something that's available in the future may not be available to you to do," Latham said. "That is why we're here 20 years later on that."
He further explained why this particular test was done. "We run Y-STRs in situations in which you expect there to be a mixture of DNA. I told you guys the sample in this particular case came from one of the bodies of our victims. They're female. We were hoping to be able to pull out male DNA from that, and so we opted to run Y-STR testing."
Latham did not disclose upon which victim the DNA sample was found, nor did he disclose the source of the DNA. He did say that, while the DNA can be traced paternally, there is not enough to use against genetic databases. Joseph DeAngelo, known as the Golden State Killer, was ultimately caught by detectives in 2018 using public genetic databases.
"Genetic genealogy is something that requires substantially more DNA than what we have currently, in this particular instance," said Latham. "Genetic genealogy is looking at the different genealogy databases that are out there and making connections that way. That is a good forensic investigative technique. At this time it's not available to us with what we have."
Given the passage of time, the person responsible for the double homicide in Great Bend in 2002 may have died or had children. Latham said any male from that paternal line would have similar DNA.
"The one advantage Y-STRs offer is it's inherited on the male side," he said. "So if we're not able to collect from that individual, but that individual's son, or that individual's brother, or that individual's dad is around, we can still make that link and put together an investigation from there."
Latham emphasized the point of Tuesday's press conference was to remind anyone with previously unreported information that no detail is too small.
"We're holding this press conference today because we hope we can find that individual out there that may be holding onto just a little bit of information;" he said, "hoping we can find an individual who's willing to share that little detail that maybe they haven't shared in the past, or that suspicion about an individual that we can then utilize in our investigation."
Tips may be reported by calling 1-800-KS-CRIME, by calling Barton County Crimestoppers at (620) 792-1300, or by reporting anonymously online at www.kbi.ks.gov/SAR.