Investigators in Alaska used genetic genealogy to close the cold case killing of Jessica Baggen, who was raped and murdered after she celebrated her 17th birthday in 1996, authorities said.
“While Branch will never face a jury of his peers in this case, we can finally say that Jessica’s case is solved,” Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Amanda Price said.
Baggen vanished on May 4, 1996, after she left a birthday party at her sister’s house to walk home, Hanson said.Nine days after that, a man contacted local police and confessed to sexually assaulting her, but no physical evidence linked him to the crime, and he was later acquitted during a trial, Hanson said.to Parabon NanoLabsEventually, Branch emerged as a suspect, Hanson said.
After a DNA sample was obtained from a relative of Branch’s, investigators determined that he was most likely a match to the suspect DNA. Following Branch's Aug. 3 death, scientists matched DNA obtained from his body during an autopsy to the suspect's DNA, Price said.
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