Police have cracked a 28-year-old cold case using genetic genealogy.
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"This technology was the same technology that was used to arrest the Golden State Killer in the United States," Detective Acting Superintendent Darryl Cox said.
Special Crime Squad detectives charged a 51-year-old man with four historical sexual assault offences that occurred between 1995 and 1998 in Western Australia.
Michael Anthony Woodhall appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court on June 23 charged with 34 offences, including sexually assaulting four women.
In the investigation, genetic genealogy identified over 3,000 people going back to the 1600s.
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"We were confident in those 3,000 people was our offender," Det Supt Cox said.
Woodhall was refused bail and is scheduled to reappear in court on July 21.
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"Special crime squad will never give up on these investigations," Det Supt Cox said.
"This offence happened 28 years ago and we will never give up.
"If you're an offender out there be aware that we will be coming with this new investigative technique we've got.
"We will be coming - it doesn't matter how long ago the offence was - we will come for you."
Investigative genetic genealogy uses publicly accessible genealogy databases to match genetic data to ancestors.