DNA Lady
CBS show 48 Hours | Mystery used the expert services of a DNA testing facility in the United States to determine whether a bone sample belonged to a U.S. Marine, Mr. Earl Bourdeau. Mr. Bourdeau was presumed murdered and buried in the Philippines in 1987.
The murder mystery entitled "Conspiracy to Kill", broadcast on January 30, 2009, centered on a woman named Sonia Rios. Ms. Rios had two husbands' whose lives ended abruptly at the hands of unknown gunmen.
Families of both men had been unable to recover the remains, until the 48 Hours investigation revealed a possible burial place for Mr. Bourdeau. Mitochondrial DNA testing was used to establish a biological relationship between Dennis Bourdeau, a living sibling of Mr. Earl Bourdeau. More than 20 years after Earl left to find adventure in the Philippines, he was finally laid to rest in his hometown of Davenport, Iowa.
Mitochondrial DNA is passed down from a mother to all of her children. Y-DNA is passed from father to son only. Brothers and sisters would therefore share the same mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA testing and Y-Chromosome testing are available to the average consumer today due in part to advances in technology and ability to collect samples via buccal swab. A fast growing hobby of many North Americans is genealogy which uses the technology of mtDNA and YDNA analyses to categorize DNA into haplogroups to determine your ancestral origins.
God Bless and Thank You to all of our Armed Services and their families for the sacrifice they are making for our country.
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