San Antonio Police Get $1M to Crack Cold Cases Using DNA

Funding will help investigators use genetic evidence to solve murders and sexual assaults

Apr. 3, 2026 at 2:51am

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An extreme close-up photograph of a shattered piece of glass reflecting a harsh, direct camera flash, conceptually representing the investigative process of uncovering hidden clues from crime scene evidence.Forensic evidence from cold cases could hold the key to long-sought justice and closure for grieving families in San Antonio.San Antonio Today

The San Antonio Police Department has received a $1 million congressional earmark to help solve cold cases using genetic genealogy. The 'Cold Case Forensic Genealogy Project' will allow investigators to use DNA from crime scenes to potentially track down suspects, even years later. Authorities say there are roughly 300 eligible cases, some dating back 50 years, that could benefit from this new technology.

Why it matters

Unsolved cold cases can leave families without closure for years, or even decades. This funding gives San Antonio police a crucial tool to potentially crack open old investigations and provide answers to grieving relatives like Eddie Gonzalez, whose daughter Meagan was murdered in 2019 with no arrests made.

The details

The $1 million in funding will pay for the 'Cold Case Forensic Genealogy Project', which allows investigators to use DNA evidence from crime scenes to potentially identify suspects, even if they've never been charged with a crime before. Crime scene expert Brenda Butler says this technology casts a 'broader database' by tapping into DNA submitted by the public, opening up new avenues for solving cases that have gone cold.

  • The San Antonio Police Department received the $1 million congressional earmark in April 2026.
  • Meagan Gonzalez was found murdered in 2019, with her case going cold for nearly 7 years.

The players

Eddie Gonzalez

The father of Meagan Gonzalez, who was murdered in 2019 with no arrests made.

William McManus

The San Antonio Police Chief, who says the funding is about 'justice, closure, and using every available tool to protect our community'.

Brenda Butler

A crime scene investigation expert who explains how the new genetic genealogy technology can 'open up more' investigative avenues by tapping into a broader DNA database.

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What they’re saying

“There hasn't been a closure for six years, traveling on seven. I'm hoping that this will help us out.”

— Eddie Gonzalez, Father of Meagan Gonzalez

“This is about justice. It's about closure, and it's about using every available tool to protect our community.”

— William McManus, San Antonio Police Chief

“You're opening up more to people who have submitted their DNA and have family members that have submitted their DNA. So it's just like a broader database.”

— Brenda Butler, Crime Scene Investigation Expert

What’s next

Authorities say they will begin using the new $1 million in funding to launch the 'Cold Case Forensic Genealogy Project' and start reviewing the roughly 300 eligible cold cases, some dating back 50 years, that could potentially be solved using genetic evidence.

The takeaway

This new congressional funding gives San Antonio police a powerful tool to potentially crack open old, unsolved murder and sexual assault cases, providing long-awaited closure for grieving families like Eddie Gonzalez's. While not every case will be eligible, the broader DNA database access provided by genetic genealogy technology offers hope of justice for hundreds of cold cases that have gone stagnant for years or even decades.