Do you crave a chance to solve a mystery? Do you follow true crime stories and read everything you can get on killers? Or do you live in northwestern United States? Finally, are you engaged in the ancestry DNA craze? If your answer to any of these question are yes, you might want to pick up and read The Forever Witness.

On November 18, 1987, Jay Cook and his girlfriend Tanya Van Cuylenborg left Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada) to drive five hours to Seattle, Washington, to pick up a furnace for his dad. They never arrived. Someplace along the way they encountered someone who murdered them both, left their bodies in rural Washington and the copper-colored van was left in the town of Bellingham. A massive search went out, but the case went cold.

In 2005, Jim Scharf was appointed to work the 65 cold cases of Snohomish County (WA) where he had worked off and on since 1h3 1970s. The only double-homicide was that of Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook. In 2008, Sharf invested in decks of tip cards - playing cards that had the story of a case and photo of the victim. Since DNA in semen was found on Tanya's body, DNA matching could be used to rule out various suspects that tips brought forward. CODIS, a database of DNA collected from known criminals was tried a few times without any hits. Then came the genetic genealogy phenomenon where folks started sending in their DNA to trace back their ancestors and find living relatives via 23andMe and other DNA testing companies. Scharf used Parabon which had gone private after creating a terrorist DNA database for the Defense Department. He got a profile with a description. This is where CeCe Moore comes into the story. She is a genetic genealogist who has made a business out of her obsession with tracking down genealogical answers. She saw that her toolkit for helping people find answers could possibly be a way to help solve police cold cases. She and Parabon gotten together to work on cases using the GEDmatch platform to solve cold cases and the first case was Jim Sharf's. It took CeCe Moore nine hours to identify the possible killer. Then came the need to obtain direct DNA evidence that was positively linked to the suspected person which was accomplished on May 18, 2018. Then all the evidence collected over the years needed to be put in order, a case presented to a court, and a verdict rendered which happened on December 6, 2021.

Edward Humes provides a very readable account of how the case of Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook's murders were solved and the vindication of genetic genealogy as a tool in law enforcement's handbook. He also provides a warning about the need for limits on these tools. Pick up a copy and dive into the details of a fascinating cold case solved!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars!

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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This is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in true crime and the practice of genetic genealogy, which has been an absolute boon in solving cold cases of all types in the past handful of years. Not only does this book examine a singular case, it also explains genetic genealogy - its beginnings, its evolution, and its uses. Though things did drag and get try at times, this books is an incredibly in-depth, behind the scenes look at the process of getting genetic genealogy involved in a cold case - and the hope and closure it can provide. As technology advances, and more and more people begin to learn to utilize genetic genealogy, I think we will see more and more cases like the one in this book come to a close.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dutton, and Edward Humes for the advanced copy of The Forever Witness in exchange for my honest review.

I feel it's worth noting that I am not typically a nonfiction reader, since I'm someone who enjoys very plot-driven books.

That said, I LOVED The Forever Witness. If you, like me, were fascinated by the fact that they caught the Golden State Killer thanks to a genealogy site with DNA testing, this book is for you. I had no idea how many other cold cases (and current crimes!) were solved using this type of science and I was absolutely riveted by it.

I didn't find the science aspect of the book to be too heavy, and I thought the author did a fantastic job building the backstories of the victims. Also, Detective Jim Scharf sounds like a world class human being and it was an honor to get to read about him.

Basically I have nothing but great things to say about this book and all of the research that went into writing it. It will be on US bookshelves November 29!

I absolutely loved this book. Although the story at times is dark it brings to light the world of genetic genealogy and the power it has to solve so many cold cases. So much research and love went into this book and you could definitely tell.

When a couple disappears without a trace in 1987, their families are left wondering what happened to them. Did they decide to just take off without checking in? Did they change their trip without letting anyone know? While the family's worry - evil is taking place.

When the bodies are discovered, no one could imagine the long trail that justice would have to take in order for closure to be brought about. The crimes in which Jay and Tanya lost their lives were unimaginable, and the torment that the families carried for years was buoyed with hope from one person, the detective who would not let the case go.

With DNA now being used, and people from around their world submitting their DNA to databases, it was just a matter of time before it could be used to solve crimes as well. Cold cases from decades past were being solved, and of course, controversy would arise over the use of such databases.
But it would manage to give them one thing - the name of the person who's DNA had been left behind at the crim scene so many years ago.

The Forever Witness takes you on the journey for justice - from the beginning when this couple was full of hope and dreams, to the detective that refuses to let the case die. It was a book that keeps you interested from the start, as you are hoping that, in the end, justice will be served.

The story of the nearly 30 year obsession of detective Jim Scharf to solve the murders of two young Canadians on a trip to Seattle for business. Reads a lot like a Dateline or Unsolved Mysteries episode but takes the details much further.

When Scharf enlists the help of geneticist CeCe Moore who uses public DNA databases to fin familial matches, the story ramps up. Humes also adds discussion on the ethics of law enforcement using DNA without consent. Overall, very interesting.

Maybe someday it will solve Amy Mihaljevic’s murder.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Forever Witness
Edward Humes
5 stars
It is hard to say a true-crime book is good considering the circumstances; however, Edward Hume's has written a very compelling case of the first case ever tried with genetic DNA. Humes has done a remarkable job of not glorifying the crimes or the murderer, as far too many true crime authors do.
This was truly a fascinating look at the birth of and use of genetic genealogy and a cold case cop who refused to give up.
I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.

I really enjoyed the first part of the book, where we get to know the victims, Jay and Tanya. Then we learn about the crime, the evidence, the lack of evidence and the man leading the cold case unit.
It was a lot of detail, but it kept the story going.
I also loved the Parabon introduction in regards to the DNA found at the scene of the crime. I had no idea that there was such a company and how it was founded.
For me, the story started to get bogged down when it went into the Golden State Killer, CeCe Moore, and the Genetic Detective stuff.
I felt that the book was too heavily into the DNA and it made my eyes glaze over from repetition.

Overall, a good book about the intersection of DNA and solving crime, just be prepared to have a few moments of yawning to keep awake while reading the book.

This I haven’t read true crime since…probably 20 years. I used to love true crime but when I stopped reading I never picked it back up until now. We have a fair share of crime here in the Pacific Northwest, maybe you’ve heard of the Green River killer or Mary Kay Letourneau. This book focuses on another pivotal case, Tanya Van Cuylenborg & Jay Cook.

One day, Tanya and Jay left their home on Vancouver Island, Canada and headed to Seattle, WA via the ferry in Port Angeles. The couple never made it. It was the 80’s, cell phones weren’t a thing, yet the couple made some stops along the way. After they were supposed to have returned home, Tanya is found dead. For the first few days, Jay is the prime suspect, but then his brutally beaten body is also found. After a fruitless search the case goes cold.

In the early 2000’s detective Jim Scarf has the case come across his cold case desk. Jim is determined to solve this crime; it’s his only unsolved double homicide. Jim tried for years but gets nowhere, until DNA testing becomes bigger. Jim connected with CeCe Moore, a genealogy expert from California and they set off to try to solve the crime via DNA. CeCe, using family tree DNA, solves the crime. There is no doubt, there’s only one option. Jim and his team set off and make history as the first cased prosecuted using genetic genealogy DNA in 2018.

I remember the outcome of this case. I recognized so many towns in the book it was eery. I’ve been to the places Tanya and Jay stopped, I’ve taken a ferry from Vancouver Island to Seattle. Talk about close to home! At times this book got a little lost in side projects and boring, but overall I enjoyed the story. Special thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy. If you’re into true crime, or from the upper PNW this book may be for you! This book comes out November 29th. Strong 4/5 stars.

Great book and research done on the field of dna and how it pertains to bringing criminals to justice. It explains how dna research developed and the way in which it has been used to successfully prosecute perpetrators of crime. I found it moving to see the impact this technology has had in changing how investigations are dealt with and the great impact on victims family members. Strikes a good balance between the human side of an investigation and the scientific evidence.

The Forever Witness by Edward Humes is an engrossing read from first to last page. Great writing. Highly recommend.

Ooh time goes by and if i don't write the review right away...sigh. I'm trying to be better. The best i can do right now is give a star count...

This book was INCREDIBLE. If you care about true crime, genealogy, or the intersection of privacy and justice, you'll really love this one. Highly, highly recommend.

I’m not sure what I was expecting with this book but it wasn’t an in-depth discussion of DNA testing and how it evolved to become a tool for law enforcement. The story itself was very interesting, discussing cold cases and how they came to be solved. The author did a huge amount of research and talking with witnesses, family members and jury members and should be commended for the way the book is written and the considerations he gave family members of crime victims. If you are interested in true crime and cold cases solved with DNA evidence this book is one you shouldn’t miss. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Forever Witness by Edward Humes is packed with details, intrigue and suspense. A tale that doesn't hold nothing back. This is seriously any true crime lovers dream right here. And it's one you aren't going to want to miss.
I love a good true crime novel. I must say this was one of the greatest non-fiction stories I've read in some time. Humes did a spectacular job breathing life into these characters, transporting me back to 80s and creating a gripping story that had me flipping the pages till the early morning hours.
Totally satisfying, extremely entertaining and phenomenally written.


“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Dutton,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

So good!! I am a huge fan of science and biology and true crime so any time I'm able to get both in one I'm a happy reader. This was very well written.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc of this book in return for an honest review.

This book was very interesting. It is heavily research information and history of genetic genealogy. If that is not your thing I would not read this book. It is a lot of information to process and a slower read. I more so enjoyed the parts about the murder cases and reading from a detectives pov. The genetic genealogy aspect wasn’t for me. This is a mix of true crime and educational research. This was researched very well! The author did an exceptional job writing the whole story and explaining a newer concept.

Edward Humes’ “The Forever Witness” details the hunt for the killer of the young Canadian couple Jay Cook and Tanya Van Cuylenborg in 1987. With the trail gone thirty years’ cold, there seems to be little hope of finding the perpetrator—until the advent of genetic genealogy makes it possible to identify the killer from DNA found at the crime scene. Using ancestry databases, genetic genealogist CeCe Moore is able to pinpoint the killer through DNA distant relatives had uploaded to such a database.

That’s only the beginning of the story. Humes goes into detail about the lives of Jay and Tanya, as well as nearly every person involved with the investigation, from cold case detective Jim Scharf to genealogist CeCe Moore. At times, the book includes far too much detail, and it feels as though the author is trying to jam in every single thing he’s heard pertaining to the case. That made for some irrelevant tangents that bog down the main narrative. Humes also discusses in detail many of Scharf’s other cold cases, which takes the focus away from the story of Tanya and Jay. Because of all this meandering, the book seems to have a lack of focus and a lack of a clear protagonist, which makes the narrative a bit unwieldy at times.

Overall, this is a well-written and well-researched book, but it would have benefited from some editing and streamlining.

I love true crime (however controversial this statement may be...) and this book did not disappoint! I recently read Unmasked by Paul Holes as well, and found that this was equally engaging and delved into genetic genealogy in an accessible way. Humanized the victims, while still adding the splash of sensational flare that makes true crime darkly 'enjoyable.'

This is a well-written and thoroughly researched book following detective Jim Scharf solving 30 years old double-murder cold case with the help of amazing genetic genealogy. If I could call this anything, boring would be the one word I wouldn't use. Each chapter, each insight into how things worked, the whole process of detective and police work is amazing and I was deeply intrigued by all the details and procedures. This book also includes the background of the victims, what their personal goals were, their dreams, posters offering rewards for catching the killer, statements from the family, and their last moments with their loved ones.