July 28, 2025 • 50 mins
Live Chat With James July 28, 2025 Episode
Local, National and International News Headlines
PLUS: Deep Dive Into Use of AI & Tech In Law Enforcement & Cold Case Investigations.
#coldcase #Policing #Investigations #News Headlines #InternationalNews #Skytrainupdate #Windturbines #novaScotia #BritishColumbia #Ottawa #Vancouver #Canada #Trade #Tariffs #LawEnforcement #AIEthics #AIinLawEnforcement #ColdCaseInvestigations #DNA #TrueCrime #CrimeandJustice #prosecutions #lawyers #policeofficers #criminalinvestigations #Detectives #Technology #AIBias #racialbias #Historiccriminalcases #coldcases #ColdCaseInvestigations #LivechatwithJames #crimeprevention #crimeandjusticetv #truecrimenews #truecrimefans
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to another live chat with James here on Propex TV,
coming to you from Vancouver, BC, Canada.
We are going to go through tonight's headlines, of course,
the local, national and world headlines as we touch on those
stories. We will follow that up with an
(00:20):
in-depth report on AI and new technologies that are helping
law enforcement to solve cold case files.
As we go into this report later in the week, we will have a
special episode on the impact and the ability of technology to
help solve some cold case files of missing children.
(00:41):
We will also take a look in thatcontext at the case of Michael
Donaghy, who went missing in 1991 from Victoria, BC.
Now let's get on with taking a look at our news that's topping
the hour. Before we get started, I also
wanted to just give a quick thank you to our episode
(01:05):
sponsor, and that is Carrie Movers.
That's KARY. movers.com will getinto a bit more about them later
in the show. But if you're moving down the
street or across the province, Kerry Movers has you covered.
Alright, let's dive right in. And we're starting, as always,
right here in Metro Vancouver. First up, a story at many of you
(01:28):
are not just seeing, but hearingand feeling every day.
That's the ongoing construction of the Surrey Langley Skytrain
line. Yes, Translink has released a
major progress report this week confirming that the guideway
column construction is now over 70% complete along the Fraser
Highway corridor. While officials are hailing this
(01:49):
as a major milestone for the much anticipated project, that
is not without headaches. Businesses along the route to
particularly near the future 166th St. and 1 96th St.
stations are reporting significant impacts from nonstop
construction, noise and traffic detours.
That is, of course, the City of Surrey reminding residents that
(02:13):
weekend work is scheduled to accelerate through the fall, so
expect those disruptions to continue.
The big question I see in the chat room already is about the
budget. Yes, officials are still holding
firm from the $4.01 billion price tag, but inflation
pressures and potential tariffs from the US could be a constant
(02:38):
concern as it continues to move forward.
Now, yes, a lot of you are talking about the traffic and
it's definitely a test of patience.
I know that very well. Now, sticking with big numbers,
let's talk about housing. The Real Estate Board of Greater
Vancouver released its mid monthsnapshot and it's painting a
(02:58):
familiar picture. The benchmark price for a
detached home remains stubbornlyhigh, hovering around the
$2,000,000 mark. However, the condo and townhouse
markets are showing a sign of slight cooling, with sales, well
you stepping about 5% compared to this time last year.
Economists are pointing to the Bank of Canada's decision last
(03:20):
month to hold interest rates steady as a key factor,
suggesting that buying maybe or sorry buyers may be waiting on
the sidelines for potential ratecut later this year.
And finally, in local news, a story that's unfortunately
becoming a summer tradition. As of this past Friday, all
Metro Vancouver has officially moved to Stage 2 water
(03:42):
restrictions after a particularly dry and warm June
and July. Regional reservoir levels have
fallen below the threshold, prompting this move.
The means sorry. This means that lawn watering is
now restricted to just one day aweek.
It also comes as air quality advisories have been flickering
(04:04):
on and off for the past week dueto smoke drifting in from
wildfires burning in our BC interior.
A stark reminder that this is the new reality of our summer
seasons. Now.
On a lighter note, what a show last night.
A huge turn out. Or actually Saturday night now,
but a huge turnout for Team Philippines at the Honda
(04:26):
Celebration of Light. The skies over English Bay were
absolutely electric. The grand finale, Christian
Canada is coming up this Wednesday, so express expect
massive crowds yet once again down in English Bay and downtown
Vancouver. But again, the annual
celebration of light is something to experience.
(04:48):
If you are looking to attend, leave early.
Take a look at what bus routes are available as Translink does
put on extra buses to accommodate the extremely large
crowds, especially in the downtown area.
So once again, plan ahead and have a great time.
Don't forget that you can alwayse-mail us or send us some photos
(05:11):
online from the events and we love to see them.
And don't forget that even otherplaces around the country, we
love to see pictures of your community, whether it's in
Canada or elsewhere in the world.
And you never know, we might share them on the air.
Now let's broaden our lens and take a look at what's happening
across the country today. Our top story out of Ottawa is a
(05:34):
significant summer cabinet shuffled.
The Prime Minister announced a number of key changes on Friday,
most notably a new Minister of Finance and a new Minister of
environment and climate Change. Pundits are interpreting this
move as an attempt by the government to reset its economic
and environmental agenda ahead of the fall parliamentary
(05:55):
parliamentary session. The opposition, of course, was
quick to call it a shuffle. The deck chairs on the Titanic
move arguing that policy, not personnel, is the real issue.
This will be the story to watch in the federal politics for the
next several weeks. This shuffle also directly ties
into our national next national story and that is inflation.
(06:19):
That's Canada's latest Consumer Price Index, or CPI report came
out this week, showing inflationholding at 3.1%.
Well, that's a far cry from the highs that we saw a couple of
years ago. It's still above the Bank of
Canada's 2% target. There is now a fierce debate
among the economists about what the Bank will do at its next
(06:39):
meeting in September. Will they finally cut the rates
to provide some relief for Canadians?
Or will this persistent inflation force them to hold
steady yet again? Will have to watch and see.
Now let's say, oh, back east forour final national story.
And that is to look at Nova Scotia, where a major milestone
(07:01):
in Canada's push for green energy is taking place.
A European consortium in partnership with the provincial
government has been given the final environmental approval to
begin construction on Canada's first major offshore wind
turbine farm. The project located off the
coast of Yarmouth is expected toeventually power over 100,000
(07:23):
homes. And this being hailed as a
blueprint for future green energy projects in the Atlantic.
And those windmills are gonna bethere pretty soon.
So don't tell Trump. He might get upset and terrify
us because of the whales. Now let's take a look at a
broader world around us. Now, some of the some of the
(07:46):
stories that are shaping the world.
First to Brussels, where high stakes trade negotiations
between the United States when the EU have reportedly hit a
major snag. Sources say the talks have
stalled over disagreements on agricultural subsidies and
digital service taxes. This is a crucial trade
relationship in any prolonged dispute could have ripple
(08:06):
effects on the global economy, potentially impacting the supply
chains and prices for consumers right here in Canada.
Now Trump has come out and stated that he is making
progress with the EU, that they have a trade agreement in
principle and yadda yadda yadda.Because we know Trump is so full
of shit, it's hard to take what he said seriously.
(08:28):
And his announcements of EU now in European investments into the
US. So again, we'll watch and see
what happens in the final trade agreement and see what
announcements come out of the European Union as opposed to
what actually comes out of Trump's mouth.
Because we know that that could be very different between the
two now from trade talks to taking a walk on the moon.
(08:52):
A huge announcement from NASA inthe Canadian Space Agency this
week. The full four person crew for
the upcoming Erimus mission slated for late 2027 has been
revealed, and as promised, a Canadian astronaut is among
them. CSA astronaut Jenny City Gibbons
(09:13):
will serve as sorry as a missionspecialist, making her the first
Canadian to travel to deep spaceand orbit the moon.
It's an incredible moment for the space agency program, a
truly inspiring piece of news, and especially for young girls
who dream of that being astronauts.
(09:34):
Yeah. Finally, a story that connects
us back to what we're seeing in our own backyard.
Yes. The World Meteorological
Organization has confirmed that Europe is currently experiencing
its third consecutive week of record shattering heat waves.
Cities from Madrid to Rome are seeing temperatures soar above
40°C, leading to widespread public health concerns and
(09:57):
straining their energy grids. It's a sobering large scale look
at the climate challenges being faced across the Northern
hemisphere this summer. It's also remember that they are
in some regions being hit with massive wildfires that are only
being exacerbated by the weatherand the winds that are carrying
(10:18):
those flames further. So again, be careful out there
folks, no matter where you are in the world.
If you are in a summer period and out in the out exploring
nature, use some fire smarts no matter where you are.
As we take a look around the world and talk about even just
(10:40):
around our city. We can look at construction
detours and other events, but it's a great time to talk about
moving properly now. This episode of Live Chat with
James is brought to you by our fantastic sponsor, Kerry Movers.
For decades, Kerry Movers has been serving Metro Vancouver and
they're still proudly owned and operated by a local family.
(11:04):
They're absolutely committed to providing the best in local
moving services. They treat your belongings like
they are their own and if your move is a bit bigger, Carry
Movers is also a trusted companyfor those looking to relocate
long distance anywhere in Western Canada.
They have the experience the andthe teams to make a stressful
(11:25):
process smooth and simple. You can find them online and get
a free quote at www.carryovers.com That's KARY
movers.com. Our sincere thanks and
appreciation to Kerry Movers fortheir support of live chat with
James here on Propex TV. And as I look, of course, you
(11:47):
cannot chat and join the conversation.
We do have most of the links here set up in terms of the
majority of the online chats cancome in to our studio here from
all the different platforms which you are watching on.
That could be on Twitch, it could be on Facebook Live,
(12:08):
LinkedIn or even YouTube. Again, if you're watching live,
don't be shy, send a comment through, send a message.
We do like to respond to them. And I do see at this time that
there are a number of chats going on, people talking about
congratulations to Jenny City, Gibbons Gibbons and many of you
(12:32):
also sharing your own water conservation tips and that's
fantastic to see. Now that's all the time we have
for the news overview before we get into our in-depth story
tonight as we've covered a lot of ground from the Sky Train
progress to the Fraser Highway, water restrictions here at home,
cabinet shuffles and Canada heading to the moon.
(12:52):
So don't forget that you can also, if you are watching this
show via replay or repost on different platforms, you can
always leave your comments as well because we do look at
those. We go back and keep an eye on
the comments that are left and if you have questions, we try to
answer those either in the chatsor via the program where we
(13:17):
could bring up your topic, your question, or your comment.
And of course, we always try to include story suggestions from
our audience. You are as much a part of the
program as we are. So again, don't forget that you
can leave your comments there. We'd be happy to hear them.
(13:37):
Now let's shift gears 2 and the digital detectives.
How AI and cutting edge technology are cracking decade
old cold cases. This is a very interesting
topic. It is something that a lot of
people are starting to learn about, whether it's through
different now, true crime podcasts and TV shows such as
(13:59):
those that you find on True Crime and justicetv.com and
others. Again, you're learning about it,
but let's take a look at how again, AI and cutting edge tech
are cracking these decade old cases.
Excuse me, folks. My apologies.
Cold cases, those enduring mysteries that haunt communities
(14:20):
and leave families yearning for answers, once seemed destined to
remain unsolved, relegated to dusty archives for decades.
Traditional investigative methods often encountered
insurmountable barriers, leavingthem countless profound
injustices to linger. However, a quiet revolution is
now reshaping the landscape of law enforcement, powered by an
(14:43):
unprecedented fusion of technology and artificial
intelligence. This transformative shift, of
course, is breathing new life into investigations once
considered hopeless, fundamentally altering how
historic crimes are approached and resolved.
This integration of artificial intelligence has opened entirely
new avenues for solving mysteries that were previously
(15:06):
deemed unsolvable. For audiences captivated by true
crime narratives, this evolutionthat transcends a mere
technological marvels. It speaks to the deeply human
stories of justice finally served and the remarkable power
of science to uncover hidden truths, and the complex ethical
dilemmas that emerge as machinesbecome integral partners in the
(15:30):
relentless pursuit of justice. As a journalist and host for
Propex TV, Savage TV, Jess TV and others important on for
exploring everything from true crime and justice to news and
entertainment to there's a clearunderstanding of this delicate
balance of using AI and the traditional different
(15:53):
technologies. And that's even extended to
consultations with on AI ethics,which we also do.
Now. This article delves into the
cutting edge tools that are fundamentally reshaping criminal
investigations, enabling law enforcement to revisit and
resolve historic crimes with unprecedented efficiency and
(16:14):
accuracy. Now, if you want to read along,
I can bring this up on the screen of the article that I am
quoting here. That is again an original.
Here at Propex TV, we also sharethese articles that we go
through because sometimes we skip a little bit here and
(16:34):
there. We'll cherry pick certain points
in the interest of time on the program.
So again, if you want to get a look at the full articles, you
can always go, excuse me, over to our sub stack account or our
sub stack page. And you can always take a look
at different articles that we post there, not only that have
(16:54):
been on the show, but other articles of interest to
hopefully all of our viewers andreaders.
Now let's take a look here because there is a clear
understanding of the delicate balance, even extending to
consultations. We're delving into the cutting
edge tools that fundamentally reshape criminal investigations.
(17:16):
We're going to start with unlocking the past, and that is
looking at key technological advances as the modern era has
ushered in a suite of advanced technologies that are
dismantling the barriers of the past piece by piece in cold case
investigations. These innovations are not merely
incremental improvements, they represent a paradigm shift in
(17:39):
forensic science and investigative capabilities with
the power of genetic genealogy and DNA phenotyping.
Let's take a look at that next. And that's a one of the most
significant breakthroughs in recent years is the emergence of
that forensic genetic genealogy,also known as investigative
(18:00):
genetic genealogy. This cutting edge approach
merges traditional DNA profilingwith extensive genealogical
research, leveraging direct to consumer DNA databases to
identify suspects or even victims were distant familial
connections. So when you send away for
different programs like 23andMe or whatever it is, then again
(18:25):
those can be used across reference.
I will get into a bit of that aswell in terms of how they cross
reference and still have certainareas of privacy and also legal
leveraging or questions that arethere.
Now when we look at traditional law enforcement databases such
as the Combined DNA Index systemor also known as CODIS, which
(18:50):
primarily hold DNA profiles of arrestees and convicted
offenders. Genealogy.
On the other hand, their databases offer a novel pathway
to storing detailed genetic datafrom everyday individuals who
have submitted their DNA to learn more about their heritage.
Now, when crime scene DNA fails to yield a direct match in
(19:11):
criminal databases, investigators can upload the
genetic profile to a public genealogy database like GED
Match and Family Tree in a If a match to a distant relative is
found, experts meticulously constructive Family Tree,
working backwards through generations to pinpoint the
likely suspect. This intricate process, while
(19:33):
potentially taking weeks or evenmonths, has proven remarkably
effective in solving crimes oncethought hopeless.
The success of this method is not solely dependent on a direct
match to a perpetrator, it hinges on the ability to
identify distant real estate relatives.
The fact that GD matched with approximately 1.2 million
(19:57):
profiles is demonstrated the capability to identify a third
cousin or closer in over 90% of the population.
This creates a powerful network effect.
This means that even if a criminal has not submitted their
own DNA, a relative likely has, effectively casting a genetic
net that's significantly expandsthe reach of investigations
(20:20):
beyond the confines of traditional law enforcement.
Databases. This also highlights the
societal impact of consumer DNA testing, which inadvertently
feeds a giant genealogical database pool now that aids law
enforcement. This ability to find familial
links fundamentally changes the definition of an unsolvable
(20:43):
case, offering New Hope and renewed hope for justice in
decades old mysteries. And again, we're going to take a
look at just a couple of the cases here that have been used
or sorry, that have used geneticgenome genealogy and best
(21:04):
illustrating its landmark successes.
Let's start with the Golden State Killer, Joseph D'Angelo.
This case stands as the most famous example where
investigators use distant cousinmatches in a public genealogical
database to identify and arrest a serial offender who evaded
capture for decades. His conviction in 2018
(21:27):
demonstrates the immense power of this technique, bringing
closure to numerous victims and their families.
Now there was another case that was referred to as Boy in the
Box, Joseph Augustus Zarelli andthat was a child who was found
murdered in 1957 and finally identified in 2022 after 65
(21:49):
years thanks to advanced DNA testing and genealogical
genealogy techniques. And now we look at 1980s case of
Helen Perzynski and her murder. This cold case was solved
decades later when a distant relatives DNA submitted to a
23andMe for personal ancestry research provided the crucial
(22:12):
lead that led to the killer. Other cases since there are
numerous other old cases that include the Bear Brook murders,
the mystery of Nancy Marie Venaleck in 1970, Anna Jean Kane
in 1998 and Jody Loomis in 1972 have been sold through these
(22:33):
methods bringing long-awaited closure to families.
So again it shows the a far reach and capabilities of this
technology. Now complementing genetic
genealogy is DNA phenotyping, the technology also known as
molecular photo fitting this innovative.
This innovation predicts a person's physical appearance,
(22:55):
including eye colour, hair colour, skin tone, facial
morphology and a biogeographic ancestry directly from DNA
evidence. Companies such as Parabon Nano
Labs with their Snapshot DNA Phenotyping system created
digital composite sketch to guide investigations, especially
(23:16):
when traditional leads are absent.
This technology transforms abstract genetic data into a
visual representation, A crucialleap for investigations that
have a lack of eyewitnesses, a lack of eyewitness accounts, or
a a lack of clear suspect descriptions.
While these composites are not admissible for conviction, they
(23:39):
provide invaluable investigativeleads, helping police narrow
down suspect pools or even fullyeliminate individuals,
effectively turning DNA into a biologic witness case.
Examples include the use of Parabon Snapshot composites in
the 2009 murder of Sierra Buzzard and the 2012 double
(24:00):
homicide in Rockingham County, North Carolina, demonstrating
their utility in providing visual needs and focusing
investigative efforts. Let's take a look at faces from
the shadows. Yes, the rise of facial
recognition technology are also referred to as FRT.
Now, AI driven facial recognition technology has
(24:21):
become another powerful tool in the arsenal of law enforcement,
capable of swiftly identifying individuals by comparing images
from crime scenes such as surveillance footage to vast
databases. These databases can include
drivers license photos, social media images, online mugshots,
and other criminal records. The systems analyze unique
(24:44):
facial features and convert theminto mathematical
representations called face prints for rapid comparison.
Again, they can do this so much quicker than humans can.
Now, FRT's applications and coldcases are diverse and impactful.
First of all, there's the rapid identification that FRT can
(25:04):
process thousands of faces per second, significantly reducing
the time and resources required to pinpoint suspects or persons
of interest. When it comes to victim and
suspect linking, it assists in identifying victims, such as
those in human trafficking or Child Exploitation cases who may
(25:25):
lack identification documents. Crucially, it helps identify
perpetrators captured on camera even if the images are unclear,
by linking them to existing records.
When it comes to solving decadesold cases, the efforts he has
played a pivotal role in solvingcold cases by comparing old
photographs to contemporary databases, making breakthrough
(25:47):
identifications previously that were previously unattainable.
They also have the ability to age the individuals in photos as
well as in natural process, so therefore again increasing the
effectiveness of the FRT. Now when we look at the real
world examples that highlight FRT's effectiveness, we can look
(26:09):
at the Ohio murder and burglary in which an agency used
Clearview AI to identify a burglary suspect and then led to
the discovery that the suspect was also wanted for a 2 year old
murderer elsewhere. Yeah, Miami PD used a Clearview
AI successfully and that linked 2 separate crimes at gas station
(26:32):
shooting and a murder that occurred in different
jurisdictions. This led to the rapid
identification and arrest of a suspect within days,
demonstrating how FRT can act asa crucial link connecting
seemingly unrelated crimes across different police
departments. This capability means AI tools
can overcome human communicationsilos and reveal patterns or
(26:56):
connections that would otherwiseremain hidden.
Significantly, that accelerates the investigations and
potentially preventing future crimes from taking dangerous
individuals off the streets. Let's take a look at the Corella
triple murder in 2006. Yes, in a truly innovative
application, AI was used in 2023to digitally age-old photographs
(27:19):
of suspects in this old cold case.
The incredible breakthrough led to a 90% similarity match with a
Facebook wedding photo, uncovering 1 suspect living
under an assumed identity and leading to the arrest in 2025.
This demonstrates AI's ability to overcome the challenge of age
(27:40):
progression in cold cases, a major hurdle when suspects
appearances change over decades.This advancement allows
investigators to generate current likenesses of suspects
from outdated images, directly addressing a long standing
challenge and making it possibleto identify individuals who
deliberately altered their identities or simply aged
(28:02):
naturally. That technology, I might add, is
being used to be able to pinpoint certain highlights and
and dimples within that masks, such as, you know, the wool
masks that robbers tend to use. And over time, it's going to be
able to take that mask off and actually identify the person
underneath, given this certain points of characteristics that
(28:25):
are obviously not hidden by the mask.
So it could be the shape of the head, the ears, the appointing
protrusions of the nose and so forth, and be able to fill it in
via AI to help create a potential database of suspects.
So again, just really cool technology.
(28:46):
Now AI's analytical edge that isof course beyond the human
capacity. Now cold cases are often
characterized by A day-to-day luge and that is just vast
amounts of fragmented notes, reports, witness statements,
forensic evidence, and surveillance footage to name but
a few. Now AI excels at processing and
(29:08):
analyzing these large data sets,identifying patterns and cross
referencing details that human investigators might miss due to
the sheer volume a train trail conduct.
Sorry. A trial conducted by Avon and
Somerset Police using an Australian developed AI tool
called SOS found it could reviewall evidential material in 30
(29:32):
hours, a task estimated to take human up to 81 years of man
hours. This represents A fundamental
shift as AI is not just speedingup existing processes, but
enabling a level of comprehensive analysis that was
previously impossible, allowing for the re examination of all
(29:53):
evidence, not just selected portions, thus uncovering
previously missed connections. Now, AI powered machine learning
and deep learning algorithms canidentify subtle patterns,
connections, and discrepancies with minimal human intervention.
This includes uncovering links between cases that span across
(30:13):
jurisdictions, even if the original investigators did not
communicate or collaborate. Now, when it comes to the
natural language processing, that is another subset of AI
that allows the system to shift through historical case files,
interview transcripts, and witness statements to identify
important keywords, patterns, orcontradictions.
(30:36):
Natural language processing can also compare cases to find
commonalities or linguistic clues.
In the infamous Jon Benet Ramseycase, for instance, an LP has
vast untapped potential to re examine the immense case files,
reconstruct timelines, and identify subtle linguistic clues
(30:56):
about the ransom notes, author and circumstances now.
Furthermore, predictive analysisallows AI to analyze historical
crime reports, demographic information, and socioeconomic
data to identify patterns and predict where and when crimes
are likely to occur. This concept of predictive
(31:16):
policing helps law enforcement agencies allocate resources more
efficiently and can potentially prevent new cold cases from ever
occurring. While the primary focus here is
on solving past crimes, AI's capabilities in identifying
crime patterns and predicting future activities as a broader
implications for justice. By helping law enforcement
(31:39):
intervene before crimes occurred, this technology
implies a shift from purely reactive investigation to
proactive prevention, potentially reducing the number
of future cold cases and enhancing public safety more
broadly. Now, what does this mean in
terms of digital footprints and forensic evolution?
(32:00):
Well, in today's increasingly digital age, the nature of
evidence has expanded far beyondthe traditional traces.
And that's what I'm talking about.
The traditional trace, sometimesphysical traces.
Now, electronic evidence drive from emails, social media
activity, smartphone Geo location data, and even data
(32:21):
from wearable devices or smart home systems has become crucial
in investigations. Social media platforms in
particular have become treasure troves of information for law
enforcement, offering unique windows into individuals lives.
Now, AI and automation significantly enhanced the
analysis of this digital evidence.
(32:42):
Even in non cybercrimes where key evidence is stored on
devices like cell phones and computers, AI driven tools can
sift through terabytes of information, detect cyber
threats, improve biometric identification methods, and
reconstruct digital events. This includes analyzing emails,
chat logs and documents to detect fraud or insider threats.
(33:07):
The proliferation of digital devices and online activity
means that criminals leave digital footprints everywhere,
making modern investigations increasingly reliant on digital
forensics. AI is an indispensable for this
navigating of the digital delugeas the challenge shifts from
finding physical evidence to sifting through immense digital
(33:29):
datasets, a task uniquely suitedfor AI processing power.
Critical advancement in AI's ability is to analyze low level,
degraded or otherwise unviable DNA evidence and enhance blurry
images or fragmented audio recordings.
This means AI can extract meaningful information from
(33:49):
evidence that was previously considered useless, effectively
reconstructing data that was previously deemed corrupted or
incomplete. This capability directly
addresses the limitations of thehuman perception and older
technologies, making more historical evidence actionable.
Now the trick is for ensuring that the technology or sorry
(34:14):
that the historic evidence has been safe.
Unfortunately, without the foresight of potential
technologies, we don't know exactly how many cases have
misplaced or disposed of evidence with the thought that
it was not useful. Now let's take a look at the
ethical crossroads, and that's navigating AI's complexities.
(34:37):
While the advancements brought by AI and technology in solving
cold cases are undeniable, excuse me, they're widespread
adoption introduces significant ethical and legal complexities
that demand careful consideration.
The pursuit of justice must be balanced with safeguarding of
the individual rights and civil liberties.
(34:59):
Again, questions that are left up to the courts, but there are
many cases that have been or arecurrently going through the
court system that again challenge these concerns.
Now, when it looks at the shadowof bias, one of the most
pressing concerns surrounding AIand law enforcement is the
potential for algorithmic bias. AI models are trained on
(35:22):
historical data, which can inherently reflect and
perpetuate existing societal data biases, leading to unfair
and discriminatory outcomes. If the training data, for
example, is biased or incomplete, then the AI
predictions and identifications may also be biased, potentially
disproportionately targeting certain demographic groups.
(35:45):
Now, for example, studies have shown that facial recognition
systems can exhibit higher errorrates for certain demographic
groups, and critics argue that they can reinforce racial
biases. This can lead to wrongful
accusations or misidentification, as tragically
seen in cases where facial recognition technology led to
(36:07):
false arrests. The core issue is with
algorithmic bias, and not merelythat AI makes mistakes, but that
it can amplify pre-existing human biases present in
historical crime data. This means that AI, if not
carefully manage, risks exacerbating systemic issues
(36:28):
within the criminal justice system, potentially leading to
over policing of marginalized groups or wrongful convictions.
The principle of garbage in, garbage out implies that the
historical biases embedded in human data collection are now
automated and scaled by AI, creating a critical ethical
(36:48):
challenge for the pursuit of true justice.
Further complicating matters is the black box problem, where the
complexity of AI algorithms often makes often makes their
decision making processes opaque.
It's difficult to understand really the decision making
process of that AI algorithm or that program.
(37:10):
This lack of explain ability makes it a challenge for
forensic practitioners and legalprofessionals to comprehend how
the AI arrived at a particular conclusion, which in turn
hinders the validation and admissibility of that AI
generated evidence in court. Now this poses a significant
challenge to accountability. If the reasoning behind an AI's
(37:33):
output cannot be transparently audited, it becomes nearly
impossible to effectively challenge errors or biases,
thereby sorry, thereby undermining public trust in the
technology and the justice system when it comes to privacy
versus public safety. Of course, the widespread
deployment of AI in law enforcement also raises
(37:55):
substantial concerns regarding privacy.
AI powered surveillance tools, including advanced facial
recognition and license plate readers of the capability to
track individuals in public spaces, leading to concerns
about mass surveillance and tracking of individuals, which
could be an infringement on the civil rights chief viewers on
(38:18):
streamboo.com remove the spaces.So obviously just a just a,
another spam message coming up in our chat room.
But that's OK for those of you who are chatting amongst
yourselves in the chat rooms andall of that.
But again, you can send us direct messages as well.
Yeah. The collection and use of vast
(38:39):
datasets, including sensitive personal information from public
genealogical or genealogy databases or social media
platforms, also present significant privacy dilemmas.
Critics contend that using genetic data to predict
appearance without explicit consent, especially when such
data is obtained from public databases, constitutes a
(39:02):
violation of privacy. Now, the third party doctrine,
originally established by the USSupreme Court, states that an
individual has no legitimate expectation of privacy and
information voluntarily turned over to third parties.
While individuals may voluntarily submit their DNA to
Geni Geni genealogy databases, they typically do so for
(39:26):
personal heritage research, not for law enforcement purposes.
The fact that their genetic information can then be used to
identify relatives who could potentially be suspects implies
a privacy by proxy issue. This means that an individual's
decision to share their DNA can inadvertently expose their
(39:46):
family members to police scrutiny, even if those family
members have never consented to such use.
Now this creates a ripple effecton privacy, extending beyond the
individual to their entire family tree, challenging
traditional notions of consent and individual rights.
Furthermore, the demand for vastamounts of information to train
(40:08):
and operate AI systems implies an ever increasingly increasing
appetite for data. This raises concerns about the
potential for mission creep, where data collected for one
purpose, example social media interaction or body Cam footage,
is then repurposed for broader surveillance or predictive
(40:28):
policing. The lack of stringent security
measures for these vast amounts of sensitive data also makes
them vulnerable the breaches, creating a potential for
widespread misuse beyond law enforcement's intended scope and
purpose. Now the legal system is still
grappling with the integration of AI based forensic science.
(40:49):
Major challenge lies in proving the authenticity and reliability
of that AI generated evidence now, particularly as it becomes
increasingly indistinguishable from non AI counterparts.
Unlike traditional evidence, which can often be directly
traced and verified through human sources, AI generated
content might lack a clear lineage or be the result of
(41:11):
complex processes that are difficult to audit.
Now the rise of AI generated deep fakes manipulated images,
videos and audio possess a significant threat to evidence
authenticity and a witness credibility in court.
You in evidence can now be alleged to be fake, requiring
costly and complex forensic tools to verify its veracity.
(41:36):
This means that while the CSI effect often leads jurors to
overestimate of forensic science, the proliferation of
deep fakes in the opacity of AI could lead to the opposite a
pervasive skepticism about all digital evidence, even authentic
ones. Now, this implies A fundamental
(41:57):
erosion of trust in the judicialprocess, potentially making
pretrial settlements like less likely and increasing the burden
of proof for litigants. This very the very tools
designed to bring clarity could inadvertently introduce
widespread doubt, making it harder to serve justice both in
the criminal system and the civil system.
(42:19):
Now the the admissibility of AI generated evidence in court
remains a significant hurdle. For instance, Clearview AI own
reports acknowledge that their results are not admissible in
court, yet police have used themto obtain search warrants,
leading to evidence being tossedby judges.
This highlights a critical disconnect between the
(42:39):
investigative utility of these tools and their judicial
acceptance. Now, the black box nature of
many AI algorithms, as previously discussed, further
complicates matters, making it difficult to explain their
reasoning in court, which is crucial for evidence
admissibility. Now, the courts may require
(42:59):
detailed explanations as to how AI systems operate, including
their training, data, and developmental methodologies.
The legal landscape surrounding AI in criminal investigations is
still evolving, with a notable lack of comprehensive
regulations governing forensic DNA phenotyping and broader AI
(43:20):
use. Legal scholars, on the other
hand, are actively calling for clear guidelines to ensure
responsible application and to protect individual rights.
The challenges posed by AI generated evidence, including
authenticity, bias, and transparency, fundamentally
challenged traditional legal concepts of evidence and
(43:41):
testimony. This means that the current
legal frameworks are insufficient for a future where
machines are effectively witnesses or investigators.
Courts will need to develop entirely new standards for
admissibility and potentially requiring Adelbert like hearing
for AI outputs and a deeper understanding of AI by judges
(44:04):
and juries. This necessitates a rapid
evolution of legal expertise andregulatory oversight to keep
pace with technological advances.
Now when we look at the indispensable human element AI
as a force multiplier, let's take a look here.
Despite the immense capabilitiesof AI and cold case
(44:25):
investigations, a constant themeemerges.
AI is a powerful tool designed to assist human detectives, not
replace them. It's an act to or sorry.
It acts as a superpower or an augmenting tool that handles
data complexity, allows human intuition and experience to
build strong cases. So again, we really need that
(44:50):
human oversight, and this is yetjust a tool.
Now, the human brain also is instrumental in rationalizing
and conceptualizing what has happened at any crime scene, and
that remains crucial. Human discretion, critical
thinking, and nuanced decision making are indispensable in
(45:11):
interpreting AI outputs, establishing probable cause, and
ensuring justice. AI can explain the how of a
crime, but it cannot solve the why.
That requires human understanding of motive and
context. The integration of AI does not
render detectives obsolete. Instead, it transforms the role.
(45:32):
They become future investigatorswho are a fusion of detective
and tech expert. This means it is a growing need
for new training that bridges traditional policing with
cutting edge technologies, enabling detectives to move
beyond manual tasks and focus onhigher level analysis, strategic
thinking and ethical oversight. The human element shifts from
(45:56):
brute force data processing, critical interpretation and
decision making, making the detectives role more complex and
specialized now responsible AI deployment and necessitate
strict guidelines, rigorous oversight and regular audits for
bias and accuracy. Transparency about AI use and
(46:16):
the data it processes is essential to maintain public
trust. It has been observed that a
breakdown occurred in the human conducted process of
establishing probable cause in wrongful arrest cases linked to
facial recognition technology. That is underscored, of course,
that human error in applying thetechnology is often the root
(46:37):
cause, not the AI itself. The reoccurring concerns about
bias, privacy, and transparency highlight a crucial societal
challenge. The success and public
acceptance of AI and law enforcement hinge not just on
technical capabilities, but on robust ethical governance.
This means that without transparent and ethical AI
(46:58):
deployment, regular audits in a community engagement, and
oversight, the technology risks losing public trust and facing
significant legal repercussions.The future of AI and justice is
as much about policy and ethics as it is about the algorithms.
Now let's take a look here at the future of renewed hope and
vigilance and our conclusion. The advent of AI and advanced
(47:22):
forensic technologies has undeniably revolutionized cold
case investigations. From genetic genealogy cracking
decades old murder mysteries to AI sifting through mountains of
data and digitally aging suspectphotos, these tools are
providing answers and closure that were once unimaginable.
(47:44):
The ability of AI to push the boundaries of genetic profiling
and make investigations more efficient and reliable is
transforming the pursuit of justice.
However, this powerful technology comes with a profound
responsibility. The ethical considerations of
privacy, algorithmic bias, and legal admissibility are not mere
(48:07):
footnotes but central challengesthat demand careful navigation.
The overarching goal is to enhance justice, not undermine
civil liberties. As AI continues its rapid
evolution, its potential to aid law enforcement will only grow.
The future of crime solving liesin a powerful collaborative
(48:28):
synergy between human ingenuity and artificial intelligence, and
ensuring that the pursuit of justice is both relentless and
rigorously ethical. The ongoing revolution or sorry
evolution, offers renewed hope for countless unsolved cases,
but it also necessitates continued its vigilance and
(48:49):
adaptation from society, legal systems, and law enforcement
agencies worldwide. Now with that said, we are going
to look at a specific case and how the AI can work in the
benefit of solving a cold cases of missing people, specifically
missing children. The case model that we're going
(49:12):
to look at or the actual case that we're going to look at is
the Michael Dennehy case where he went missing at the age of
four years old from a schoolyardand playground in the city of
Victoria, BC, Canada in 1991. That episode will be coming up
in a few days, so I encourage you to watch for that special
(49:32):
one and hopefully you can also take time to let us know what
your thoughts are on this episode and other topics that
you would like to see. It's covered.
Once again, today's episode has been brought to you by Kyrie
Movers, Western Canada's favorite family owned and
operated long distance moving company and also providing local
(49:53):
moves in the Metro Vancouver andFraser Valley region of British
Columbia. You can contact Kerry Movers for
a free price quote at www.carryovers.com.
That's www.karymovers.com. Once again, this has been
another episode of Live Chat with James coming to you from
(50:15):
the studios of Propex TV in Vancouver, BC.
Take care of one. Thanks for tuning in for this
live episode, and don't forget to join us again tomorrow night
where we'll cover the top news stories and we'll take an
in-depth look at what we think is ahead for the Vancouver
Canucks this coming NHL season. Take care everyone, stay safe.
(50:36):
Thanks for tuning in.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to another live chat with James here on Propex TV,
coming to you from Vancouver, BC, Canada.
We are going to go through tonight's headlines, of course,
the local, national and world headlines as we touch on those
stories. We will follow that up with an
(00:20):
in-depth report on AI and new technologies that are helping
law enforcement to solve cold case files.
As we go into this report later in the week, we will have a
special episode on the impact and the ability of technology to
help solve some cold case files of missing children.
(00:41):
We will also take a look in thatcontext at the case of Michael
Donaghy, who went missing in 1991 from Victoria, BC.
Now let's get on with taking a look at our news that's topping
the hour. Before we get started, I also
wanted to just give a quick thank you to our episode
(01:05):
sponsor, and that is Carrie Movers.
That's KARY. movers.com will getinto a bit more about them later
in the show. But if you're moving down the
street or across the province, Kerry Movers has you covered.
Alright, let's dive right in. And we're starting, as always,
right here in Metro Vancouver. First up, a story at many of you
(01:28):
are not just seeing, but hearingand feeling every day.
That's the ongoing construction of the Surrey Langley Skytrain
line. Yes, Translink has released a
major progress report this week confirming that the guideway
column construction is now over 70% complete along the Fraser
Highway corridor. While officials are hailing this
(01:49):
as a major milestone for the much anticipated project, that
is not without headaches. Businesses along the route to
particularly near the future 166th St. and 1 96th St.
stations are reporting significant impacts from nonstop
construction, noise and traffic detours.
That is, of course, the City of Surrey reminding residents that
(02:13):
weekend work is scheduled to accelerate through the fall, so
expect those disruptions to continue.
The big question I see in the chat room already is about the
budget. Yes, officials are still holding
firm from the $4.01 billion price tag, but inflation
pressures and potential tariffs from the US could be a constant
(02:38):
concern as it continues to move forward.
Now, yes, a lot of you are talking about the traffic and
it's definitely a test of patience.
I know that very well. Now, sticking with big numbers,
let's talk about housing. The Real Estate Board of Greater
Vancouver released its mid monthsnapshot and it's painting a
(02:58):
familiar picture. The benchmark price for a
detached home remains stubbornlyhigh, hovering around the
$2,000,000 mark. However, the condo and townhouse
markets are showing a sign of slight cooling, with sales, well
you stepping about 5% compared to this time last year.
Economists are pointing to the Bank of Canada's decision last
(03:20):
month to hold interest rates steady as a key factor,
suggesting that buying maybe or sorry buyers may be waiting on
the sidelines for potential ratecut later this year.
And finally, in local news, a story that's unfortunately
becoming a summer tradition. As of this past Friday, all
Metro Vancouver has officially moved to Stage 2 water
(03:42):
restrictions after a particularly dry and warm June
and July. Regional reservoir levels have
fallen below the threshold, prompting this move.
The means sorry. This means that lawn watering is
now restricted to just one day aweek.
It also comes as air quality advisories have been flickering
(04:04):
on and off for the past week dueto smoke drifting in from
wildfires burning in our BC interior.
A stark reminder that this is the new reality of our summer
seasons. Now.
On a lighter note, what a show last night.
A huge turn out. Or actually Saturday night now,
but a huge turnout for Team Philippines at the Honda
(04:26):
Celebration of Light. The skies over English Bay were
absolutely electric. The grand finale, Christian
Canada is coming up this Wednesday, so express expect
massive crowds yet once again down in English Bay and downtown
Vancouver. But again, the annual
celebration of light is something to experience.
(04:48):
If you are looking to attend, leave early.
Take a look at what bus routes are available as Translink does
put on extra buses to accommodate the extremely large
crowds, especially in the downtown area.
So once again, plan ahead and have a great time.
Don't forget that you can alwayse-mail us or send us some photos
(05:11):
online from the events and we love to see them.
And don't forget that even otherplaces around the country, we
love to see pictures of your community, whether it's in
Canada or elsewhere in the world.
And you never know, we might share them on the air.
Now let's broaden our lens and take a look at what's happening
across the country today. Our top story out of Ottawa is a
(05:34):
significant summer cabinet shuffled.
The Prime Minister announced a number of key changes on Friday,
most notably a new Minister of Finance and a new Minister of
environment and climate Change. Pundits are interpreting this
move as an attempt by the government to reset its economic
and environmental agenda ahead of the fall parliamentary
(05:55):
parliamentary session. The opposition, of course, was
quick to call it a shuffle. The deck chairs on the Titanic
move arguing that policy, not personnel, is the real issue.
This will be the story to watch in the federal politics for the
next several weeks. This shuffle also directly ties
into our national next national story and that is inflation.
(06:19):
That's Canada's latest Consumer Price Index, or CPI report came
out this week, showing inflationholding at 3.1%.
Well, that's a far cry from the highs that we saw a couple of
years ago. It's still above the Bank of
Canada's 2% target. There is now a fierce debate
among the economists about what the Bank will do at its next
(06:39):
meeting in September. Will they finally cut the rates
to provide some relief for Canadians?
Or will this persistent inflation force them to hold
steady yet again? Will have to watch and see.
Now let's say, oh, back east forour final national story.
And that is to look at Nova Scotia, where a major milestone
(07:01):
in Canada's push for green energy is taking place.
A European consortium in partnership with the provincial
government has been given the final environmental approval to
begin construction on Canada's first major offshore wind
turbine farm. The project located off the
coast of Yarmouth is expected toeventually power over 100,000
(07:23):
homes. And this being hailed as a
blueprint for future green energy projects in the Atlantic.
And those windmills are gonna bethere pretty soon.
So don't tell Trump. He might get upset and terrify
us because of the whales. Now let's take a look at a
broader world around us. Now, some of the some of the
(07:46):
stories that are shaping the world.
First to Brussels, where high stakes trade negotiations
between the United States when the EU have reportedly hit a
major snag. Sources say the talks have
stalled over disagreements on agricultural subsidies and
digital service taxes. This is a crucial trade
relationship in any prolonged dispute could have ripple
(08:06):
effects on the global economy, potentially impacting the supply
chains and prices for consumers right here in Canada.
Now Trump has come out and stated that he is making
progress with the EU, that they have a trade agreement in
principle and yadda yadda yadda.Because we know Trump is so full
of shit, it's hard to take what he said seriously.
(08:28):
And his announcements of EU now in European investments into the
US. So again, we'll watch and see
what happens in the final trade agreement and see what
announcements come out of the European Union as opposed to
what actually comes out of Trump's mouth.
Because we know that that could be very different between the
two now from trade talks to taking a walk on the moon.
(08:52):
A huge announcement from NASA inthe Canadian Space Agency this
week. The full four person crew for
the upcoming Erimus mission slated for late 2027 has been
revealed, and as promised, a Canadian astronaut is among
them. CSA astronaut Jenny City Gibbons
(09:13):
will serve as sorry as a missionspecialist, making her the first
Canadian to travel to deep spaceand orbit the moon.
It's an incredible moment for the space agency program, a
truly inspiring piece of news, and especially for young girls
who dream of that being astronauts.
(09:34):
Yeah. Finally, a story that connects
us back to what we're seeing in our own backyard.
Yes. The World Meteorological
Organization has confirmed that Europe is currently experiencing
its third consecutive week of record shattering heat waves.
Cities from Madrid to Rome are seeing temperatures soar above
40°C, leading to widespread public health concerns and
(09:57):
straining their energy grids. It's a sobering large scale look
at the climate challenges being faced across the Northern
hemisphere this summer. It's also remember that they are
in some regions being hit with massive wildfires that are only
being exacerbated by the weatherand the winds that are carrying
(10:18):
those flames further. So again, be careful out there
folks, no matter where you are in the world.
If you are in a summer period and out in the out exploring
nature, use some fire smarts no matter where you are.
As we take a look around the world and talk about even just
(10:40):
around our city. We can look at construction
detours and other events, but it's a great time to talk about
moving properly now. This episode of Live Chat with
James is brought to you by our fantastic sponsor, Kerry Movers.
For decades, Kerry Movers has been serving Metro Vancouver and
they're still proudly owned and operated by a local family.
(11:04):
They're absolutely committed to providing the best in local
moving services. They treat your belongings like
they are their own and if your move is a bit bigger, Carry
Movers is also a trusted companyfor those looking to relocate
long distance anywhere in Western Canada.
They have the experience the andthe teams to make a stressful
(11:25):
process smooth and simple. You can find them online and get
a free quote at www.carryovers.com That's KARY
movers.com. Our sincere thanks and
appreciation to Kerry Movers fortheir support of live chat with
James here on Propex TV. And as I look, of course, you
(11:47):
cannot chat and join the conversation.
We do have most of the links here set up in terms of the
majority of the online chats cancome in to our studio here from
all the different platforms which you are watching on.
That could be on Twitch, it could be on Facebook Live,
(12:08):
LinkedIn or even YouTube. Again, if you're watching live,
don't be shy, send a comment through, send a message.
We do like to respond to them. And I do see at this time that
there are a number of chats going on, people talking about
congratulations to Jenny City, Gibbons Gibbons and many of you
(12:32):
also sharing your own water conservation tips and that's
fantastic to see. Now that's all the time we have
for the news overview before we get into our in-depth story
tonight as we've covered a lot of ground from the Sky Train
progress to the Fraser Highway, water restrictions here at home,
cabinet shuffles and Canada heading to the moon.
(12:52):
So don't forget that you can also, if you are watching this
show via replay or repost on different platforms, you can
always leave your comments as well because we do look at
those. We go back and keep an eye on
the comments that are left and if you have questions, we try to
answer those either in the chatsor via the program where we
(13:17):
could bring up your topic, your question, or your comment.
And of course, we always try to include story suggestions from
our audience. You are as much a part of the
program as we are. So again, don't forget that you
can leave your comments there. We'd be happy to hear them.
(13:37):
Now let's shift gears 2 and the digital detectives.
How AI and cutting edge technology are cracking decade
old cold cases. This is a very interesting
topic. It is something that a lot of
people are starting to learn about, whether it's through
different now, true crime podcasts and TV shows such as
(13:59):
those that you find on True Crime and justicetv.com and
others. Again, you're learning about it,
but let's take a look at how again, AI and cutting edge tech
are cracking these decade old cases.
Excuse me, folks. My apologies.
Cold cases, those enduring mysteries that haunt communities
(14:20):
and leave families yearning for answers, once seemed destined to
remain unsolved, relegated to dusty archives for decades.
Traditional investigative methods often encountered
insurmountable barriers, leavingthem countless profound
injustices to linger. However, a quiet revolution is
now reshaping the landscape of law enforcement, powered by an
(14:43):
unprecedented fusion of technology and artificial
intelligence. This transformative shift, of
course, is breathing new life into investigations once
considered hopeless, fundamentally altering how
historic crimes are approached and resolved.
This integration of artificial intelligence has opened entirely
new avenues for solving mysteries that were previously
(15:06):
deemed unsolvable. For audiences captivated by true
crime narratives, this evolutionthat transcends a mere
technological marvels. It speaks to the deeply human
stories of justice finally served and the remarkable power
of science to uncover hidden truths, and the complex ethical
dilemmas that emerge as machinesbecome integral partners in the
(15:30):
relentless pursuit of justice. As a journalist and host for
Propex TV, Savage TV, Jess TV and others important on for
exploring everything from true crime and justice to news and
entertainment to there's a clearunderstanding of this delicate
balance of using AI and the traditional different
(15:53):
technologies. And that's even extended to
consultations with on AI ethics,which we also do.
Now. This article delves into the
cutting edge tools that are fundamentally reshaping criminal
investigations, enabling law enforcement to revisit and
resolve historic crimes with unprecedented efficiency and
(16:14):
accuracy. Now, if you want to read along,
I can bring this up on the screen of the article that I am
quoting here. That is again an original.
Here at Propex TV, we also sharethese articles that we go
through because sometimes we skip a little bit here and
(16:34):
there. We'll cherry pick certain points
in the interest of time on the program.
So again, if you want to get a look at the full articles, you
can always go, excuse me, over to our sub stack account or our
sub stack page. And you can always take a look
at different articles that we post there, not only that have
(16:54):
been on the show, but other articles of interest to
hopefully all of our viewers andreaders.
Now let's take a look here because there is a clear
understanding of the delicate balance, even extending to
consultations. We're delving into the cutting
edge tools that fundamentally reshape criminal investigations.
(17:16):
We're going to start with unlocking the past, and that is
looking at key technological advances as the modern era has
ushered in a suite of advanced technologies that are
dismantling the barriers of the past piece by piece in cold case
investigations. These innovations are not merely
incremental improvements, they represent a paradigm shift in
(17:39):
forensic science and investigative capabilities with
the power of genetic genealogy and DNA phenotyping.
Let's take a look at that next. And that's a one of the most
significant breakthroughs in recent years is the emergence of
that forensic genetic genealogy,also known as investigative
(18:00):
genetic genealogy. This cutting edge approach
merges traditional DNA profilingwith extensive genealogical
research, leveraging direct to consumer DNA databases to
identify suspects or even victims were distant familial
connections. So when you send away for
different programs like 23andMe or whatever it is, then again
(18:25):
those can be used across reference.
I will get into a bit of that aswell in terms of how they cross
reference and still have certainareas of privacy and also legal
leveraging or questions that arethere.
Now when we look at traditional law enforcement databases such
as the Combined DNA Index systemor also known as CODIS, which
(18:50):
primarily hold DNA profiles of arrestees and convicted
offenders. Genealogy.
On the other hand, their databases offer a novel pathway
to storing detailed genetic datafrom everyday individuals who
have submitted their DNA to learn more about their heritage.
Now, when crime scene DNA fails to yield a direct match in
(19:11):
criminal databases, investigators can upload the
genetic profile to a public genealogy database like GED
Match and Family Tree in a If a match to a distant relative is
found, experts meticulously constructive Family Tree,
working backwards through generations to pinpoint the
likely suspect. This intricate process, while
(19:33):
potentially taking weeks or evenmonths, has proven remarkably
effective in solving crimes oncethought hopeless.
The success of this method is not solely dependent on a direct
match to a perpetrator, it hinges on the ability to
identify distant real estate relatives.
The fact that GD matched with approximately 1.2 million
(19:57):
profiles is demonstrated the capability to identify a third
cousin or closer in over 90% of the population.
This creates a powerful network effect.
This means that even if a criminal has not submitted their
own DNA, a relative likely has, effectively casting a genetic
net that's significantly expandsthe reach of investigations
(20:20):
beyond the confines of traditional law enforcement.
Databases. This also highlights the
societal impact of consumer DNA testing, which inadvertently
feeds a giant genealogical database pool now that aids law
enforcement. This ability to find familial
links fundamentally changes the definition of an unsolvable
(20:43):
case, offering New Hope and renewed hope for justice in
decades old mysteries. And again, we're going to take a
look at just a couple of the cases here that have been used
or sorry, that have used geneticgenome genealogy and best
(21:04):
illustrating its landmark successes.
Let's start with the Golden State Killer, Joseph D'Angelo.
This case stands as the most famous example where
investigators use distant cousinmatches in a public genealogical
database to identify and arrest a serial offender who evaded
capture for decades. His conviction in 2018
(21:27):
demonstrates the immense power of this technique, bringing
closure to numerous victims and their families.
Now there was another case that was referred to as Boy in the
Box, Joseph Augustus Zarelli andthat was a child who was found
murdered in 1957 and finally identified in 2022 after 65
(21:49):
years thanks to advanced DNA testing and genealogical
genealogy techniques. And now we look at 1980s case of
Helen Perzynski and her murder. This cold case was solved
decades later when a distant relatives DNA submitted to a
23andMe for personal ancestry research provided the crucial
(22:12):
lead that led to the killer. Other cases since there are
numerous other old cases that include the Bear Brook murders,
the mystery of Nancy Marie Venaleck in 1970, Anna Jean Kane
in 1998 and Jody Loomis in 1972 have been sold through these
(22:33):
methods bringing long-awaited closure to families.
So again it shows the a far reach and capabilities of this
technology. Now complementing genetic
genealogy is DNA phenotyping, the technology also known as
molecular photo fitting this innovative.
This innovation predicts a person's physical appearance,
(22:55):
including eye colour, hair colour, skin tone, facial
morphology and a biogeographic ancestry directly from DNA
evidence. Companies such as Parabon Nano
Labs with their Snapshot DNA Phenotyping system created
digital composite sketch to guide investigations, especially
(23:16):
when traditional leads are absent.
This technology transforms abstract genetic data into a
visual representation, A crucialleap for investigations that
have a lack of eyewitnesses, a lack of eyewitness accounts, or
a a lack of clear suspect descriptions.
While these composites are not admissible for conviction, they
(23:39):
provide invaluable investigativeleads, helping police narrow
down suspect pools or even fullyeliminate individuals,
effectively turning DNA into a biologic witness case.
Examples include the use of Parabon Snapshot composites in
the 2009 murder of Sierra Buzzard and the 2012 double
(24:00):
homicide in Rockingham County, North Carolina, demonstrating
their utility in providing visual needs and focusing
investigative efforts. Let's take a look at faces from
the shadows. Yes, the rise of facial
recognition technology are also referred to as FRT.
Now, AI driven facial recognition technology has
(24:21):
become another powerful tool in the arsenal of law enforcement,
capable of swiftly identifying individuals by comparing images
from crime scenes such as surveillance footage to vast
databases. These databases can include
drivers license photos, social media images, online mugshots,
and other criminal records. The systems analyze unique
(24:44):
facial features and convert theminto mathematical
representations called face prints for rapid comparison.
Again, they can do this so much quicker than humans can.
Now, FRT's applications and coldcases are diverse and impactful.
First of all, there's the rapid identification that FRT can
(25:04):
process thousands of faces per second, significantly reducing
the time and resources required to pinpoint suspects or persons
of interest. When it comes to victim and
suspect linking, it assists in identifying victims, such as
those in human trafficking or Child Exploitation cases who may
(25:25):
lack identification documents. Crucially, it helps identify
perpetrators captured on camera even if the images are unclear,
by linking them to existing records.
When it comes to solving decadesold cases, the efforts he has
played a pivotal role in solvingcold cases by comparing old
photographs to contemporary databases, making breakthrough
(25:47):
identifications previously that were previously unattainable.
They also have the ability to age the individuals in photos as
well as in natural process, so therefore again increasing the
effectiveness of the FRT. Now when we look at the real
world examples that highlight FRT's effectiveness, we can look
(26:09):
at the Ohio murder and burglary in which an agency used
Clearview AI to identify a burglary suspect and then led to
the discovery that the suspect was also wanted for a 2 year old
murderer elsewhere. Yeah, Miami PD used a Clearview
AI successfully and that linked 2 separate crimes at gas station
(26:32):
shooting and a murder that occurred in different
jurisdictions. This led to the rapid
identification and arrest of a suspect within days,
demonstrating how FRT can act asa crucial link connecting
seemingly unrelated crimes across different police
departments. This capability means AI tools
can overcome human communicationsilos and reveal patterns or
(26:56):
connections that would otherwiseremain hidden.
Significantly, that accelerates the investigations and
potentially preventing future crimes from taking dangerous
individuals off the streets. Let's take a look at the Corella
triple murder in 2006. Yes, in a truly innovative
application, AI was used in 2023to digitally age-old photographs
(27:19):
of suspects in this old cold case.
The incredible breakthrough led to a 90% similarity match with a
Facebook wedding photo, uncovering 1 suspect living
under an assumed identity and leading to the arrest in 2025.
This demonstrates AI's ability to overcome the challenge of age
(27:40):
progression in cold cases, a major hurdle when suspects
appearances change over decades.This advancement allows
investigators to generate current likenesses of suspects
from outdated images, directly addressing a long standing
challenge and making it possibleto identify individuals who
deliberately altered their identities or simply aged
(28:02):
naturally. That technology, I might add, is
being used to be able to pinpoint certain highlights and
and dimples within that masks, such as, you know, the wool
masks that robbers tend to use. And over time, it's going to be
able to take that mask off and actually identify the person
underneath, given this certain points of characteristics that
(28:25):
are obviously not hidden by the mask.
So it could be the shape of the head, the ears, the appointing
protrusions of the nose and so forth, and be able to fill it in
via AI to help create a potential database of suspects.
So again, just really cool technology.
(28:46):
Now AI's analytical edge that isof course beyond the human
capacity. Now cold cases are often
characterized by A day-to-day luge and that is just vast
amounts of fragmented notes, reports, witness statements,
forensic evidence, and surveillance footage to name but
a few. Now AI excels at processing and
(29:08):
analyzing these large data sets,identifying patterns and cross
referencing details that human investigators might miss due to
the sheer volume a train trail conduct.
Sorry. A trial conducted by Avon and
Somerset Police using an Australian developed AI tool
called SOS found it could reviewall evidential material in 30
(29:32):
hours, a task estimated to take human up to 81 years of man
hours. This represents A fundamental
shift as AI is not just speedingup existing processes, but
enabling a level of comprehensive analysis that was
previously impossible, allowing for the re examination of all
(29:53):
evidence, not just selected portions, thus uncovering
previously missed connections. Now, AI powered machine learning
and deep learning algorithms canidentify subtle patterns,
connections, and discrepancies with minimal human intervention.
This includes uncovering links between cases that span across
(30:13):
jurisdictions, even if the original investigators did not
communicate or collaborate. Now, when it comes to the
natural language processing, that is another subset of AI
that allows the system to shift through historical case files,
interview transcripts, and witness statements to identify
important keywords, patterns, orcontradictions.
(30:36):
Natural language processing can also compare cases to find
commonalities or linguistic clues.
In the infamous Jon Benet Ramseycase, for instance, an LP has
vast untapped potential to re examine the immense case files,
reconstruct timelines, and identify subtle linguistic clues
(30:56):
about the ransom notes, author and circumstances now.
Furthermore, predictive analysisallows AI to analyze historical
crime reports, demographic information, and socioeconomic
data to identify patterns and predict where and when crimes
are likely to occur. This concept of predictive
(31:16):
policing helps law enforcement agencies allocate resources more
efficiently and can potentially prevent new cold cases from ever
occurring. While the primary focus here is
on solving past crimes, AI's capabilities in identifying
crime patterns and predicting future activities as a broader
implications for justice. By helping law enforcement
(31:39):
intervene before crimes occurred, this technology
implies a shift from purely reactive investigation to
proactive prevention, potentially reducing the number
of future cold cases and enhancing public safety more
broadly. Now, what does this mean in
terms of digital footprints and forensic evolution?
(32:00):
Well, in today's increasingly digital age, the nature of
evidence has expanded far beyondthe traditional traces.
And that's what I'm talking about.
The traditional trace, sometimesphysical traces.
Now, electronic evidence drive from emails, social media
activity, smartphone Geo location data, and even data
(32:21):
from wearable devices or smart home systems has become crucial
in investigations. Social media platforms in
particular have become treasure troves of information for law
enforcement, offering unique windows into individuals lives.
Now, AI and automation significantly enhanced the
analysis of this digital evidence.
(32:42):
Even in non cybercrimes where key evidence is stored on
devices like cell phones and computers, AI driven tools can
sift through terabytes of information, detect cyber
threats, improve biometric identification methods, and
reconstruct digital events. This includes analyzing emails,
chat logs and documents to detect fraud or insider threats.
(33:07):
The proliferation of digital devices and online activity
means that criminals leave digital footprints everywhere,
making modern investigations increasingly reliant on digital
forensics. AI is an indispensable for this
navigating of the digital delugeas the challenge shifts from
finding physical evidence to sifting through immense digital
(33:29):
datasets, a task uniquely suitedfor AI processing power.
Critical advancement in AI's ability is to analyze low level,
degraded or otherwise unviable DNA evidence and enhance blurry
images or fragmented audio recordings.
This means AI can extract meaningful information from
(33:49):
evidence that was previously considered useless, effectively
reconstructing data that was previously deemed corrupted or
incomplete. This capability directly
addresses the limitations of thehuman perception and older
technologies, making more historical evidence actionable.
Now the trick is for ensuring that the technology or sorry
(34:14):
that the historic evidence has been safe.
Unfortunately, without the foresight of potential
technologies, we don't know exactly how many cases have
misplaced or disposed of evidence with the thought that
it was not useful. Now let's take a look at the
ethical crossroads, and that's navigating AI's complexities.
(34:37):
While the advancements brought by AI and technology in solving
cold cases are undeniable, excuse me, they're widespread
adoption introduces significant ethical and legal complexities
that demand careful consideration.
The pursuit of justice must be balanced with safeguarding of
the individual rights and civil liberties.
(34:59):
Again, questions that are left up to the courts, but there are
many cases that have been or arecurrently going through the
court system that again challenge these concerns.
Now, when it looks at the shadowof bias, one of the most
pressing concerns surrounding AIand law enforcement is the
potential for algorithmic bias. AI models are trained on
(35:22):
historical data, which can inherently reflect and
perpetuate existing societal data biases, leading to unfair
and discriminatory outcomes. If the training data, for
example, is biased or incomplete, then the AI
predictions and identifications may also be biased, potentially
disproportionately targeting certain demographic groups.
(35:45):
Now, for example, studies have shown that facial recognition
systems can exhibit higher errorrates for certain demographic
groups, and critics argue that they can reinforce racial
biases. This can lead to wrongful
accusations or misidentification, as tragically
seen in cases where facial recognition technology led to
(36:07):
false arrests. The core issue is with
algorithmic bias, and not merelythat AI makes mistakes, but that
it can amplify pre-existing human biases present in
historical crime data. This means that AI, if not
carefully manage, risks exacerbating systemic issues
(36:28):
within the criminal justice system, potentially leading to
over policing of marginalized groups or wrongful convictions.
The principle of garbage in, garbage out implies that the
historical biases embedded in human data collection are now
automated and scaled by AI, creating a critical ethical
(36:48):
challenge for the pursuit of true justice.
Further complicating matters is the black box problem, where the
complexity of AI algorithms often makes often makes their
decision making processes opaque.
It's difficult to understand really the decision making
process of that AI algorithm or that program.
(37:10):
This lack of explain ability makes it a challenge for
forensic practitioners and legalprofessionals to comprehend how
the AI arrived at a particular conclusion, which in turn
hinders the validation and admissibility of that AI
generated evidence in court. Now this poses a significant
challenge to accountability. If the reasoning behind an AI's
(37:33):
output cannot be transparently audited, it becomes nearly
impossible to effectively challenge errors or biases,
thereby sorry, thereby undermining public trust in the
technology and the justice system when it comes to privacy
versus public safety. Of course, the widespread
deployment of AI in law enforcement also raises
(37:55):
substantial concerns regarding privacy.
AI powered surveillance tools, including advanced facial
recognition and license plate readers of the capability to
track individuals in public spaces, leading to concerns
about mass surveillance and tracking of individuals, which
could be an infringement on the civil rights chief viewers on
(38:18):
streamboo.com remove the spaces.So obviously just a just a,
another spam message coming up in our chat room.
But that's OK for those of you who are chatting amongst
yourselves in the chat rooms andall of that.
But again, you can send us direct messages as well.
Yeah. The collection and use of vast
(38:39):
datasets, including sensitive personal information from public
genealogical or genealogy databases or social media
platforms, also present significant privacy dilemmas.
Critics contend that using genetic data to predict
appearance without explicit consent, especially when such
data is obtained from public databases, constitutes a
(39:02):
violation of privacy. Now, the third party doctrine,
originally established by the USSupreme Court, states that an
individual has no legitimate expectation of privacy and
information voluntarily turned over to third parties.
While individuals may voluntarily submit their DNA to
Geni Geni genealogy databases, they typically do so for
(39:26):
personal heritage research, not for law enforcement purposes.
The fact that their genetic information can then be used to
identify relatives who could potentially be suspects implies
a privacy by proxy issue. This means that an individual's
decision to share their DNA can inadvertently expose their
(39:46):
family members to police scrutiny, even if those family
members have never consented to such use.
Now this creates a ripple effecton privacy, extending beyond the
individual to their entire family tree, challenging
traditional notions of consent and individual rights.
Furthermore, the demand for vastamounts of information to train
(40:08):
and operate AI systems implies an ever increasingly increasing
appetite for data. This raises concerns about the
potential for mission creep, where data collected for one
purpose, example social media interaction or body Cam footage,
is then repurposed for broader surveillance or predictive
(40:28):
policing. The lack of stringent security
measures for these vast amounts of sensitive data also makes
them vulnerable the breaches, creating a potential for
widespread misuse beyond law enforcement's intended scope and
purpose. Now the legal system is still
grappling with the integration of AI based forensic science.
(40:49):
Major challenge lies in proving the authenticity and reliability
of that AI generated evidence now, particularly as it becomes
increasingly indistinguishable from non AI counterparts.
Unlike traditional evidence, which can often be directly
traced and verified through human sources, AI generated
content might lack a clear lineage or be the result of
(41:11):
complex processes that are difficult to audit.
Now the rise of AI generated deep fakes manipulated images,
videos and audio possess a significant threat to evidence
authenticity and a witness credibility in court.
You in evidence can now be alleged to be fake, requiring
costly and complex forensic tools to verify its veracity.
(41:36):
This means that while the CSI effect often leads jurors to
overestimate of forensic science, the proliferation of
deep fakes in the opacity of AI could lead to the opposite a
pervasive skepticism about all digital evidence, even authentic
ones. Now, this implies A fundamental
(41:57):
erosion of trust in the judicialprocess, potentially making
pretrial settlements like less likely and increasing the burden
of proof for litigants. This very the very tools
designed to bring clarity could inadvertently introduce
widespread doubt, making it harder to serve justice both in
the criminal system and the civil system.
(42:19):
Now the the admissibility of AI generated evidence in court
remains a significant hurdle. For instance, Clearview AI own
reports acknowledge that their results are not admissible in
court, yet police have used themto obtain search warrants,
leading to evidence being tossedby judges.
This highlights a critical disconnect between the
(42:39):
investigative utility of these tools and their judicial
acceptance. Now, the black box nature of
many AI algorithms, as previously discussed, further
complicates matters, making it difficult to explain their
reasoning in court, which is crucial for evidence
admissibility. Now, the courts may require
(42:59):
detailed explanations as to how AI systems operate, including
their training, data, and developmental methodologies.
The legal landscape surrounding AI in criminal investigations is
still evolving, with a notable lack of comprehensive
regulations governing forensic DNA phenotyping and broader AI
(43:20):
use. Legal scholars, on the other
hand, are actively calling for clear guidelines to ensure
responsible application and to protect individual rights.
The challenges posed by AI generated evidence, including
authenticity, bias, and transparency, fundamentally
challenged traditional legal concepts of evidence and
(43:41):
testimony. This means that the current
legal frameworks are insufficient for a future where
machines are effectively witnesses or investigators.
Courts will need to develop entirely new standards for
admissibility and potentially requiring Adelbert like hearing
for AI outputs and a deeper understanding of AI by judges
(44:04):
and juries. This necessitates a rapid
evolution of legal expertise andregulatory oversight to keep
pace with technological advances.
Now when we look at the indispensable human element AI
as a force multiplier, let's take a look here.
Despite the immense capabilitiesof AI and cold case
(44:25):
investigations, a constant themeemerges.
AI is a powerful tool designed to assist human detectives, not
replace them. It's an act to or sorry.
It acts as a superpower or an augmenting tool that handles
data complexity, allows human intuition and experience to
build strong cases. So again, we really need that
(44:50):
human oversight, and this is yetjust a tool.
Now, the human brain also is instrumental in rationalizing
and conceptualizing what has happened at any crime scene, and
that remains crucial. Human discretion, critical
thinking, and nuanced decision making are indispensable in
(45:11):
interpreting AI outputs, establishing probable cause, and
ensuring justice. AI can explain the how of a
crime, but it cannot solve the why.
That requires human understanding of motive and
context. The integration of AI does not
render detectives obsolete. Instead, it transforms the role.
(45:32):
They become future investigatorswho are a fusion of detective
and tech expert. This means it is a growing need
for new training that bridges traditional policing with
cutting edge technologies, enabling detectives to move
beyond manual tasks and focus onhigher level analysis, strategic
thinking and ethical oversight. The human element shifts from
(45:56):
brute force data processing, critical interpretation and
decision making, making the detectives role more complex and
specialized now responsible AI deployment and necessitate
strict guidelines, rigorous oversight and regular audits for
bias and accuracy. Transparency about AI use and
(46:16):
the data it processes is essential to maintain public
trust. It has been observed that a
breakdown occurred in the human conducted process of
establishing probable cause in wrongful arrest cases linked to
facial recognition technology. That is underscored, of course,
that human error in applying thetechnology is often the root
(46:37):
cause, not the AI itself. The reoccurring concerns about
bias, privacy, and transparency highlight a crucial societal
challenge. The success and public
acceptance of AI and law enforcement hinge not just on
technical capabilities, but on robust ethical governance.
This means that without transparent and ethical AI
(46:58):
deployment, regular audits in a community engagement, and
oversight, the technology risks losing public trust and facing
significant legal repercussions.The future of AI and justice is
as much about policy and ethics as it is about the algorithms.
Now let's take a look here at the future of renewed hope and
vigilance and our conclusion. The advent of AI and advanced
(47:22):
forensic technologies has undeniably revolutionized cold
case investigations. From genetic genealogy cracking
decades old murder mysteries to AI sifting through mountains of
data and digitally aging suspectphotos, these tools are
providing answers and closure that were once unimaginable.
(47:44):
The ability of AI to push the boundaries of genetic profiling
and make investigations more efficient and reliable is
transforming the pursuit of justice.
However, this powerful technology comes with a profound
responsibility. The ethical considerations of
privacy, algorithmic bias, and legal admissibility are not mere
(48:07):
footnotes but central challengesthat demand careful navigation.
The overarching goal is to enhance justice, not undermine
civil liberties. As AI continues its rapid
evolution, its potential to aid law enforcement will only grow.
The future of crime solving liesin a powerful collaborative
(48:28):
synergy between human ingenuity and artificial intelligence, and
ensuring that the pursuit of justice is both relentless and
rigorously ethical. The ongoing revolution or sorry
evolution, offers renewed hope for countless unsolved cases,
but it also necessitates continued its vigilance and
(48:49):
adaptation from society, legal systems, and law enforcement
agencies worldwide. Now with that said, we are going
to look at a specific case and how the AI can work in the
benefit of solving a cold cases of missing people, specifically
missing children. The case model that we're going
(49:12):
to look at or the actual case that we're going to look at is
the Michael Dennehy case where he went missing at the age of
four years old from a schoolyardand playground in the city of
Victoria, BC, Canada in 1991. That episode will be coming up
in a few days, so I encourage you to watch for that special
(49:32):
one and hopefully you can also take time to let us know what
your thoughts are on this episode and other topics that
you would like to see. It's covered.
Once again, today's episode has been brought to you by Kyrie
Movers, Western Canada's favorite family owned and
operated long distance moving company and also providing local
(49:53):
moves in the Metro Vancouver andFraser Valley region of British
Columbia. You can contact Kerry Movers for
a free price quote at www.carryovers.com.
That's www.karymovers.com. Once again, this has been
another episode of Live Chat with James coming to you from
(50:15):
the studios of Propex TV in Vancouver, BC.
Take care of one. Thanks for tuning in for this
live episode, and don't forget to join us again tomorrow night
where we'll cover the top news stories and we'll take an
in-depth look at what we think is ahead for the Vancouver
Canucks this coming NHL season. Take care everyone, stay safe.
(50:36):
Thanks for tuning in.
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