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The Forever Witness: How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder Spiral-Bound | November 29, 2022
Edward Humes
★★★★☆+ from 1,001 to 10,000 ratings
$29.38
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The Forever Witness: How DNA and Genealogy Solved a Cold Case Double Murder
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“Thought-provoking true-crime thriller…the book raises urgent questions of balancing public and private good that we’ll likely be dealing with as long as the title implies.”—Wall Street Journal
After 30 years, Detective Jim Scharf arrested a teenage couple's murderer—and exposed a looming battle between the pursuit of justice and the right to privacy.
When Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook were murdered during a trip to Seattle in the 1980s, detectives had few leads. The murder weapon was missing. No one witnessed any suspicious activity. And there was only a single handprint on the outside of the young couple’s van. The detectives assumed Tanya and Jay were victims of a serial killer—but without any leads, the case seemed forever doomed.
In deep-freeze, long-term storage, biological evidence from the crime scenes sat waiting. Meanwhile, California resident CeCe Moore began her lifetime fascination with genetic genealogy. As DNA testing companies rapidly grew in popularity, she discovered another use for the technology: solving crimes. When Detective Jim Scharf decided to send the case’s decades-old DNA to Parabon NanoLabs, he hoped he would bring closure to the Van Cuylenborg and Cook families. He didn't know that he and Moore would make history.
Anyone can submit a saliva sample to learn about their ancestry. But what happens after the results of these tests are uploaded to the internet? As lawyers, policymakers, and police officers fight over questions of consent and privacy, the implications of Scharf’s case become ever clearer. Approximately 250,000 murders in the United States remain unsolved today. We have the tools to catch many of these killers—but what is the cost?
Story Locale:Seattle, Olympic Peninsula, Vancouver Island
After 30 years, Detective Jim Scharf arrested a teenage couple's murderer—and exposed a looming battle between the pursuit of justice and the right to privacy.
When Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook were murdered during a trip to Seattle in the 1980s, detectives had few leads. The murder weapon was missing. No one witnessed any suspicious activity. And there was only a single handprint on the outside of the young couple’s van. The detectives assumed Tanya and Jay were victims of a serial killer—but without any leads, the case seemed forever doomed.
In deep-freeze, long-term storage, biological evidence from the crime scenes sat waiting. Meanwhile, California resident CeCe Moore began her lifetime fascination with genetic genealogy. As DNA testing companies rapidly grew in popularity, she discovered another use for the technology: solving crimes. When Detective Jim Scharf decided to send the case’s decades-old DNA to Parabon NanoLabs, he hoped he would bring closure to the Van Cuylenborg and Cook families. He didn't know that he and Moore would make history.
Anyone can submit a saliva sample to learn about their ancestry. But what happens after the results of these tests are uploaded to the internet? As lawyers, policymakers, and police officers fight over questions of consent and privacy, the implications of Scharf’s case become ever clearer. Approximately 250,000 murders in the United States remain unsolved today. We have the tools to catch many of these killers—but what is the cost?
Story Locale:Seattle, Olympic Peninsula, Vancouver Island
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Original Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 384 pages
ISBN-10: 1524746274
Item Weight: 1.94 lbs
Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.15 x 9.3 inches
Customer Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars 1,001 to 10,000 ratings
“Whether one is interested in cold case puzzles or genealogy, or just curious about solving crimes, The Forever Witness should be read and reread until it becomes a dog-eared part of one’s library.”
—New York Journal of Books
“This book was fabulous. The Forever Witness was thorough, informative, and deeply emotional.”
—True Crime Index
“Thoughtful true-crime.”
—People
“Humes' writing is suspenseful yet also journalistic, providing fascinating details about the case, technological advances in police work, and genetic genealogy. A winner for any fan of true crime.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Stellar true crime account… Humes matches taut prose with assured storytelling. This fascinating look at how technology has revolutionized crime solving is must reading.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Fans of Michelle McNamara’s acclaimed I’ll Be Gone in the Dark should clear their schedules, because Edward Humes’ riveting account is nearly impossible to put down…The Forever Witness has earned a well-deserved place among top-notch true crime.”
—Bookpage (starred review)
“A well-paced true-crime procedural that offers new twists on old methods of police work.”
—Kirkus
“An excellent addition to any true crime collection, this one is sure to intrigue readers who are interested in delving deeper into the hows and whys of solving cold cases.”
—Library Journal
“Some detectives never give up, and in this expert retelling, you'll follow Jim Scharf as he attempts to crack the coldest of cases: A golden young couple abducted and murdered in Washington state in 1987, with almost no clues left behind. This book is that rare thing, terrifying true crime told with a beating heart.”
—Maureen Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of American Predator
“In this brilliantly told, addictively readable book, Edward Humes reminds us that the term “cold case” is misleading, that unsolved murders simmer for decades with angry life and grief and the long-shadow of justice denied. And he also reminds us to hope that the answers to our most stubborn mysteries can yet be found if we simply refuse to give up on them.”
—Deborah Blum, New York Times bestselling author of The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz-Age New York
“The Forever Witness is a remarkable achievement in true crime reporting, as Edward Humes brilliantly guides readers through a cold case investigation that’s smart, suspenseful, and on the cutting edge of forensic science. This book will keep you reading well into the night.”
—Gilbert King, Pulitzer-prize winning author of Beneath a Ruthless Sun and Devil in the Grove
“A story within a story within a story—once you think you know what The Forever Witness by Edward Humes is about, Humes takes you deeper. It is not only a story of the tragic murders of two young people—but about the tale their bodies told, and how, after decades, that tale was able to come to light. Layered and informative, compassionate and analytical, this book picks up where Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark leaves off, explaining the miracle that is genetic genealogy as well as the ethical quagmire that surrounds it, while also offering a dignified eulogy to two lives violently, monstrously cut short.”
—Rachel Rear, author of Catch the Sparrow
“Ed Humes is not a fancy writer, and I mean that as a compliment. He does not write for the applause of literary reviewers or book critics. He writes for smart readers. He is a gifted storyteller, an absolute master of the narrative. The Forever Witness, the story of a kidnapping and murder, seizes you on the first page and holds you captive until the end.”
—Gene Weingarten, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for feature writing, Washington Post journalist and author of One Day
“Top-notch, must-read true crime. Edward Humes has crafted a brilliant and riveting account of a haunting cold case, a relentless detective, and the birth of a cutting-edge forensic tool.”
—Dean Jobb, author of The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream and Empire of Deception, and professor in the MFA in Creative Nonfiction program at the University of King’s College
“The Forever Witness is one of the best true crime books I’ve ever read—a riveting page turner that also made me so much smarter. With his deep and empathetic reporting, Humes manages to illuminate both the vivid history of a cold case and the complex future of criminology and genealogy.”
—Eli Saslow, Pulitzer Prize winner, Washington Post journalist, and author of Rising Out of Hatred
“The Forever Witness is a nuanced examination of the role of genetic genealogy in criminal investigations, told through the wrenching, personal story of a horrific double murder left unsolved for decades. Humes approaches his subject with intelligence and probing curiosity, and the result is a fascinating study of the newest frontiers in information and DNA science.”
—Steph Cha, author of Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner Your House Will Pay
—New York Journal of Books
“This book was fabulous. The Forever Witness was thorough, informative, and deeply emotional.”
—True Crime Index
“Thoughtful true-crime.”
—People
“Humes' writing is suspenseful yet also journalistic, providing fascinating details about the case, technological advances in police work, and genetic genealogy. A winner for any fan of true crime.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Stellar true crime account… Humes matches taut prose with assured storytelling. This fascinating look at how technology has revolutionized crime solving is must reading.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Fans of Michelle McNamara’s acclaimed I’ll Be Gone in the Dark should clear their schedules, because Edward Humes’ riveting account is nearly impossible to put down…The Forever Witness has earned a well-deserved place among top-notch true crime.”
—Bookpage (starred review)
“A well-paced true-crime procedural that offers new twists on old methods of police work.”
—Kirkus
“An excellent addition to any true crime collection, this one is sure to intrigue readers who are interested in delving deeper into the hows and whys of solving cold cases.”
—Library Journal
“Some detectives never give up, and in this expert retelling, you'll follow Jim Scharf as he attempts to crack the coldest of cases: A golden young couple abducted and murdered in Washington state in 1987, with almost no clues left behind. This book is that rare thing, terrifying true crime told with a beating heart.”
—Maureen Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of American Predator
“In this brilliantly told, addictively readable book, Edward Humes reminds us that the term “cold case” is misleading, that unsolved murders simmer for decades with angry life and grief and the long-shadow of justice denied. And he also reminds us to hope that the answers to our most stubborn mysteries can yet be found if we simply refuse to give up on them.”
—Deborah Blum, New York Times bestselling author of The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz-Age New York
“The Forever Witness is a remarkable achievement in true crime reporting, as Edward Humes brilliantly guides readers through a cold case investigation that’s smart, suspenseful, and on the cutting edge of forensic science. This book will keep you reading well into the night.”
—Gilbert King, Pulitzer-prize winning author of Beneath a Ruthless Sun and Devil in the Grove
“A story within a story within a story—once you think you know what The Forever Witness by Edward Humes is about, Humes takes you deeper. It is not only a story of the tragic murders of two young people—but about the tale their bodies told, and how, after decades, that tale was able to come to light. Layered and informative, compassionate and analytical, this book picks up where Michelle McNamara's I'll Be Gone in the Dark leaves off, explaining the miracle that is genetic genealogy as well as the ethical quagmire that surrounds it, while also offering a dignified eulogy to two lives violently, monstrously cut short.”
—Rachel Rear, author of Catch the Sparrow
“Ed Humes is not a fancy writer, and I mean that as a compliment. He does not write for the applause of literary reviewers or book critics. He writes for smart readers. He is a gifted storyteller, an absolute master of the narrative. The Forever Witness, the story of a kidnapping and murder, seizes you on the first page and holds you captive until the end.”
—Gene Weingarten, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for feature writing, Washington Post journalist and author of One Day
“Top-notch, must-read true crime. Edward Humes has crafted a brilliant and riveting account of a haunting cold case, a relentless detective, and the birth of a cutting-edge forensic tool.”
—Dean Jobb, author of The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream and Empire of Deception, and professor in the MFA in Creative Nonfiction program at the University of King’s College
“The Forever Witness is one of the best true crime books I’ve ever read—a riveting page turner that also made me so much smarter. With his deep and empathetic reporting, Humes manages to illuminate both the vivid history of a cold case and the complex future of criminology and genealogy.”
—Eli Saslow, Pulitzer Prize winner, Washington Post journalist, and author of Rising Out of Hatred
“The Forever Witness is a nuanced examination of the role of genetic genealogy in criminal investigations, told through the wrenching, personal story of a horrific double murder left unsolved for decades. Humes approaches his subject with intelligence and probing curiosity, and the result is a fascinating study of the newest frontiers in information and DNA science.”
—Steph Cha, author of Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner Your House Will Pay
Edward Humes is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author whose fifteen previous books include Burned, Mississippi Mud, and the PEN Award-winning No Matter How Loud I Shout. He splits his time between Seattle and Southern California.
Author Residence: Seattle/Southern California
Author Residence: Seattle/Southern California