Susan Galvin came to Seattle searching for opportunity. What she found instead was tragedy. In 1967, Susan was murdered near a downtown parking garage, leaving investigators with more questions than answers.

In this episode, we look at who Susan was, why her case faded into obscurity, and how advances in forensic genetic testing eventually reopened the investigation decades later, offering resolution in one of Seattle’s oldest cold cases.

Sources:

• GeekWire – “52 years after Seattle woman was killed, police use family DNA and latest science to identify the killer” — https://www.geekwire.com/2019/52-years-seattle-woman-killed-police-use-family-dna-latest-science-identify-killer/ GeekWire
• KUOW – “Seattle Police solve 52-year-old murder case using genetic genealogy” — https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-police-solve-52-year-old-murder-case-using-genetic-genealogy KUOW
• HeraldNet (AP) – “DNA, family tree help solve 52-year-old Seattle murder case” — https://www.heraldnet.com/northwest/dna-family-tree-help-solve-52-year-old-seattle-murder-case/ HeraldNet
• KIRO 7 News – “SPD and genealogy solve Seattle Center cold case murder from 1967” — https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/dna-family-tree-help-solve-52-year-old-seattle-murder-case/947354648/ KIRO 7 News Seattle
• KOMO News (coverage of identification via DNA) — https://komonews.com/news/local/52-year-old-cold-case-solved-in-seattle KOMO

Additional context & background sources referenced:

• InvestigationDiscovery.com – Investigation Discovery
• Oxygen.com – Oxygen true crime article on Susan Galvin and Frank Wypych
• Grunge.com – Grunge article on the oldest cold cases solved with DNA
• KFGO – Tales of True Crime (Episode 15: The Coldest Case Solved With Forensic Genealogy)
• Seattle Magazine – History behind Seattle’s food obsession (context source)

Additional news reports (AP / local outlets):

• The Seattle Times (AP) – Gene Johnson, “52-year-old Seattle murder case is the oldest ever to be solved using genealogy” (May 2019) — searchable
• FOX 13 Seattle – “DNA, family tree help solve 52-year-old Seattle murder case” (May 2019) — searchable
• KIRO 7 / Boston 25 News – “DNA, genealogy identifies long-dead suspect in 52-year-old Seattle cold case killing” (May 2019) — searchable