DNA Breakthrough Solves 34-Year-Old Copenhagen Murder
New kinship-matching technology cracks 1990 killing of Hanne With
A major development in one of Denmark's longest-unsolved homicides has come through the application of cutting-edge forensic technology. On February 6, 2024, Copenhagen Police arrested a 53-year-old man suspected of murdering Hanne With, a 23-year-old woman killed on New Year's Eve 1990.
With was found dead in her apartment on Fensmarkgade in Nørrebro following a brutal attack. She had been stabbed multiple times in what investigators classified as a homicide. For over three decades, the case remained unsolved despite investigative efforts by Copenhagen Police.
The breakthrough came through DNA analysis of evidence recovered from the crime scene—specifically, biological material found on the victim's cowboy jeans. Rather than relying on a direct DNA match from a criminal database, investigators employed a newer investigative tool: kinship-based DNA matching. This method searches for genetic relatives of the DNA profile, rather than an exact match.
The analysis, conducted by the Retsgenetisk Afdeling (Genetic Section) at Retsmedicinsk Institut (National Institute of Forensic Medicine), yielded a match with probability rated at 1 in 1 million—a statistically powerful indicator of guilt.
The suspect was arrested at his workplace, a slaughterhouse in Nordjylland (North Jutland), and presented at a custody hearing on February 7, 2024. At the time of his arrest, he was 53 years old. The investigation, led by Vicepolitiinspektør Brian Belling of Copenhagen Police, remains ongoing.
The case underscores the evolving role of forensic science in solving historical crimes. Kinship-based DNA matching represents a significant advance for cold case investigations, particularly in instances where the perpetrator was never added to police DNA databases or where traditional matching methods yielded no results. The technology effectively widens the investigative net by identifying suspects through their biological relatives.
