Carla Walker Act: Texas teen killed in '70's could help fund cold cases now
THE WOODLANDS, Texas - A new way of identifying someone through DNA is helping to bring healing to even more families who are seeking justice. The problem is many law enforcement agencies can’t afford it. So one lawmaker is trying to change that.
A company in The Woodlands, Othram Inc., is now helping solve cold cases that once seemed unsolvable by using genetic DNA testing. It’s a tool that’s so effective one Texas Senator is trying to pass legislation that would provide funding, so law enforcement agencies can clear old cold cases.
"This sort of technology is critical to solving crime and protecting public safety," says Senator John Cornyn.
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We caught up with Sen. Cornyn taking a tour of what looked like the set of a TV crime drama, complete with DNA being extracted and analysis of a human bone before his very eyes, but this isn’t make-believe. It’s the labs of Othram Incorporated in The Woodlands.
"We’re looking at a new generation of DNA technology, stuff that didn’t even exist a few years ago," explains Othram Inc. Founder & CEO David Mittelman.
Mittelman’s company used Forensic Genetic Genealogy DNA testing to solve the murder of a Texas teen. In 1974, 17-year-old Carla Walker was sexually assaulted, strangled, and found dead three days after she was abducted.
In 2019, Walker’s killer Glen McCurley was identified when Othram used genetics testing to find a family member of the DNA that was found on her deceased body which led to McCurley confessing.
"As a 12-year-old this affected me for 45 years of my life, silent anger and rage, not knowing who did this to my sister," says Carla Walker’s brother Jim Walker.
Traditional DNA testing can only find suspects if their profile is already in the national database.
Genetic testing is so successful because it leads to the loved ones of a criminal and ultimately the offender himself. It’s expensive.
So Senator Cornyn will be proposing the Carla Walker Act which will provide federal grants to law enforcement to pay for the test.
"If the perpetrator is stopped then justice is done. The family can achieve closure. It also means other potential victims are saved from that fate…I’m confident we’ll find a partner on the Democratic side, both in the House and the Senate and I can’t imagine this being controversial," says Senator Cornyn.
"This will have a massive impact on law enforcement and getting families answers that they need," adds retired cold case investigator Paul Holes who was instrumental in putting the Golden State Killer Joseph DeAngelo in prison.
The Carla Walker Act is still a proposal. Senator Cornyn feels confident it will pass.