right now o "news4 this week," family secrets. >> it opens up doors to conversations and family secrets that people may not be ready to talk about and hear about. >> catchingal crim >> a family member puts their dna into one of these family search databases by dna and law enforcement can make a connection and further their investigation. and curbing your curiosity. the test that helps you sort through the twisted strands ofu dna. but what happens after your information is collected? >> announcer: welcome to "news4 this week." hell, everyo i'm leon harris. recently news4 featured a series of stories on the growing use of dna.

now millions of people are urning to home dna kits t unlock information about their health and their family history. over the next 30 minute news4's doreen gentzler will walk us through a series of w stories, are going to start with reaction from a northern virginia woman who took seshral tests and is noing her surprising results. >> it's a secret julie newberger's parents took to their grave. >> i was adopted a birth, but it was a family secret a cousin came and told me that there was something that she felt that i had the right to know. >> and so began the journey to nd her birth parents. >> at that time i was interested in having a child of my own, and for that reason and others i really wanted to learn more about my ancestry and health history. >> with her adoption records sealed, julie turned t those at-home dna test kits for clues. she sent in a tube of spit. her results went intoda the

base for locating possible matches. >> so this chart shows each of my cousins' chromosomes and where we overlap. >> wow. it looksike a lot. >> eventually six months later, she finally got a close match. it was her hcle. was relatively anonymous, but through some google searches and amateur detective work, i was able to figure out who he uls. >> as pored over the complicated strands of her family's dna, she tracked down more relatis, and finally nnected with her biological mother by phone. >> i think the first thing she said to me was, julie, i was 15 when i got pregnant. >> it turned out her parents were high school sweethearts, but they weren't ready to raise a baby > i think when i first saw a picture of my birth dad, that's when i knew it was real. >> after putting fheir baby up adoption, the couple went their separate ways, only to reunite

years later. >> but later on in life they found each other again, and got back together and got married. so they hadwo children of their own, my full biological brother and sister. >> at one point, all of tivm wereg just a few miles apart in new york. >> there are many possibilities of us having crossed paths. triede fact that they ha to find me and we were so close together but weren't able to is just incredible. but we had t go through this. >> and the dna test revealed more than a new family. >> we there things that surprised you along your journey? >> yes, very much so. so my adopted family, i h been told that i was russian, german, polish, raised in a jewish family. sure enough when i tested my dna, i came up that i was primarily italian, so that was a big shock because, you know,

when you grow up feeling this kinship, youknow, with group of people and then you find out that that's notho really you are -- >> julie's search had an amazingly happy ending, but she knows it could have been much t. differ >> i know that it opens up doors to, you know, cversations and family secrets that people may not be ready to talkbout and hear about. >> those ta home t kits, though, can raise a whole host of new privacy u concerns. n buy one of those tests for about $100, but as doreen found out,he results may end up costing you more in the long run and could end up in the wrong hands. >> family intrigue led larry gernsey to buy his wife a dna test kit for the ho'sdays. >> shelways been interested in genealogy. >> the $99 ancestry.com dna test uses a saliva sample to unlock your lineage. here's how the company says it

works. >> a simple test can reveal your ethnic mix, like if you're irish or scandinavian or both. >> for the gernseys this test was supposed to be n,fu but their curiosity twisted to suspicion when they r fine print. by taking the test, they were giving ancesy a,quote, perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide transferable license to use their dna. >> that entire phrase, perpetual,royalty-free, worldwide transferable, it sounds like they left it open to do whatever they wanted with . >> larry worried they could put it into the hands insurance company that might deny them coverage over a gene that carried the risk of a life-threatening condition. >> you could get into weird scenarios. >> under federal law companies re not allowed to use your genetic information against you for things like health insurance or a job, but thatesrotection

ot apply to things like life insurance or long-term care insurance. and the laws are constantly changing. privacy is a big concern because many genetic testing companies sell their information to drug companies and others for research. and what would happen if the databases were hacked? all the big companies have safeguards in place, but more than 92 million accounts from the genealogy and dna testing service my heritage were found on a private server last suener, hough dna data wasn't breached in that episode, i owed the potential risk. hank greeley is a professor at writes university who books about the intersection of biotechnology and the law. his advice is simple. >> if it bothe you,f it offends you, if you're worried there,what might be in then you shouldn't sign this contract. >> now, both ancestry.com and 23andme say that they will

destroy your esdnats if you ask them. there's an online setting on their site to do that. in the future some experts think these dna companies could end up giving customers the choice. the more privacy you want, the more you'll have to pay. when we come back, are you tempted to test your dna based on your family medical history? why doctors don't recommend that and what you should expect when you do it. plus dna websites collect genetic information. now police are using tha to solve crimes. up next, how they're doing it even when suspects have never even when suspects have never taken a genetic test themselves. this is you shopping. and this is you maximizing at t.j.maxx. you shopping, you maximizing. you shopping, you maximizing. find the brands you love and get more you for your money, every time. it's not shopping, it's maximizing.

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welcome back. if you are at risk of developing a life-threatening disease or condition, would you want to know? well, genetic testi putshat information right at your fingertips, but tests may not bt a good for everyone. once again, here's doreen gentzler. >> it's critically important to understand what those home dna

tests are and what they're not. >> it's a combination of cutting edge science, curiosity and convenience. do itourself genetic test kits offer an easy and affordable way to study your dna from the comfort of your own home, but consider this -- >> they are not genetic tests that are designed to answer a medical question about a ndition that a h person maye or that other members of their family may have. >> dr. leslie bieseckers a geneticist at the national institutes of health in bethesda. he's one of the leading researchers in the world when it comes to inherited disorders and admits he hasn't had his own dna tested. >> so i have not had mine tested becaus i practice what i preach. you don't go into a doctor and have any blood tesus done for curiosity. you do it when you need it. and i you need it, then it's worth it. >> 23andme is the first and only

test with fda approval to s for certain cancer risks, or alzheimer's, or parkinson' without a prescription. they can also test to see if you're a carrier forit inhered conditions bilike cystic fibros or sickle cell anemia. for some, knowledge about that is power. but there are limitations. >> they are not testing for the overwhelming majority of ge changes or mutations or whatever you want to call them that could be causing that so, for example, for the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene, there's over 1,000 known gene hanges that can cause those traits. the company tests for three. >> there's also significant concern that the results could develop your ris of developing a disease that has no cure. >> and they sometimesanenerate ers to questions you might not want. >> a troubling test result that comes without any guidance from a doctor or genetic counselor to

help you understand what it really s. and if you decide to tak the test, be sure to read the fine print, because companies can sell your dna for profit. >> they are in many cases also doing researh on y dna, and so you need to be aware that they may keepnd that they may want to do research on that and make discoveriesat on >> when we come back after a break, online dna testing solving crimes even without dna from the suspect. orat you need to know bef turning over your genetic information. we're weighing safety and we're weighing safety and

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♪ ♪ ♪ walgreens... battle beautifully welcome back to "new this week" and our special dive into dna. it's been a powerful tool foror police decades. you've seen the shows and the movies. but home dna testing has opened up a new frontier in crime fighting with police using science and skill to track down

suspects. even someone who has never taken a genetic test could potentially be exposed. >> it all starts with a swab of your cheek or a tube of your saliva. quat's all you need to dig into your u dna for clues about your health and heritage. now with the popularity of companies like 23andme, ancestry.com and my heritage, forensic genealogy has become a powerf tool in fighting crime. >> but if a family member puts their dna into one of these family search databases by dna, law enforcement can mak a family connection andth further eir investigation. >> theechnique got national attention last year after the notorious golden states killer captured in california nearly 40 years after his reign of terror began. the big break in the case, dna from a distant relative on a public genealogy website called

jed match, and police didn't need a warrant to tap into reit >> there no specific parameters for going into those sort of databases. th t companiesmselves have certain restrictions. >> as home dna kits become more popular, those databases are growin larger, giving police a better chance at making an . arre >> any time you smoke a cigarette or you drink from a cup or you eat with a utensil, those all potentially are sources of your dna. >> this is a rare look inside d.b.'s crime the work that's being done here every day has already helped to solve hundr ss of assaults, murders and cold cases. what's more, it couldnt pre future crime. >> dr. jennifer smith is the director of d.c.'s department of forensic sciences with decades of past experience working at the fbi. ie's seen the science evolve. >> andn that day and age, we needed a stain about the size of a ckel.

now we can get dna and amplify it or copy it from very, very small stains, even stains y can't se we actually had a case where an hat, idual was wearing a and they went into a store. they shot someone. when they came out the hat blew off their head. we were able to retrieve the hat, and from the inside of that hat, we tre able to gett individual's dna and through the database comparison we were able to find that individual. >> as for wt's next - >> in the future we're going to be able to perhaps eren pct what a person's hair color is or what their eye color is. we might be able to determine what their ancestry is. >> critics sayct the pe raises significant questions about privacy. but for those in law enforcement, the public safety aspect outweighs thoseconcerns. >> apprehending criminals to me is the highest, highest priority to consider. if it's workingn wite law and it gets the case solved, then all theer bett. >> just know this, by of those genetic tests, you're

essentially giving up the rights to your dna, potentially becoming a genetic informant for officers and exposing everyone on your family tree. when weba come , we'll wrap up our dna special with a look at how those home tests and your genetic information cou t chan future of medical chan future of medical research. people aren't talking about how much chan future of medical research. money they saved buying giant brand chicken. they're not talking about how our pre-chopped veggies are perfect time-savers. they're also not talking about our unique assortment of over 1,300 nature's promise items. or our fresh grab and go salads and sandwiches. they're not talking, because they're eating. oh hello, that looks so good.

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our final piece in this special edition of "news4 thisw " has to do with the future. now, we told you about those home dna tests and he major companies that have millions of customers. we end our series with a closer look at what can happen with all that genetic data that's collected. >> it's the silicon valley company with the world's largest database for genetic research. >> meet ys.r ge >> over the past 12 years, ann, co-founder and ce of 23andme, has turned her dream into ala

billion d empire. >> we have over 5 million customers. people are empowered with theirn genetic rmation. once you get this first taste of learning about yourself, it really changes how you think about your health overall andwn your o sense of empowerment and your health. >> now is venturing into new territory, offering customers a chance toive theirdna a second life through medical research, searching for cures to age-old diseases. >> how is i can crowdource all this information and then i can. i can partner with ademic researchers, i can partner with biotech companies, pharma companies, to say how can we all who have a common interest come together and say i want a solution and i want information. >> more than 4 million customers have opted in, and the results breaklready helped scientific ground on everything from migraines to cancer. one of the most significant finds, the first-ever genetic ink to depression, thanks to a

partnership with drug manufacturer pfizer. >> i think about succee for m for the company is the impact that we have on human li. >> andhe's not done yet, now turning her attention to a topic that hits close to home. >> my ex-husband sergei has the genetic factor for parkinn's. nd sergei, the father of ann's two children f out he was a carrier of parkinson's disease after taking his then-wife's test. last summer 23and announced a $300 million partnership with pharmaceutical giant gl glaxosmithkline to find a cure for the disease that impacts a person's movement causing stiffness and tremors. the company's massive database may be making strides for science, it also poses some rious questions about privbuy. wojitski says your participation doesn't have to be

permanent. >> you can delete your account. if you don't wan to participate anymore, withdraw, totally. >> and that's all for this ecial edition of "news4 this week." i'm leon harris. you can find o more information concerning dna on the nbc washington app. st go to the site and search dna. thanks for joining us and have a great and healthy week. for 50 years, cracker barrel

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>> announcer: "news 4ay t starts now. hit the s are set to pavement throughout the district this morning. there are going to plenty of roads you'll want to avoid. we'll have a run down for you. a father and son caught in a shooting. now, investigators believe it all started with a case of mistaken identity. new reports the controversy surrounding the jussie smollett case may have cost as many as 50 hospital employees in chicago their e jobs. weing to explain that. welcome morning, the 9th of march, 2019. good morning. i'm david culver. >> i'mra meagan fitz. i can't get over that story. >> i think it'll shock a lot of