Identical Twin Convicted in 1987 Virginia Cold Case Through Rare Breakthrough.

In a historic moment for forensic science, investigators in a Virginia cold case used technology once thought impossible to tell apart identical twins through DNA.

The case goes back to 1986, when a young woman in Woodbridge, Virginia, was abducted at gunpoint and raped. For decades, the case remained unsolved. In 2019, detectives reopened it using advances in forensic genealogy. Their search led them to twin brothers Russell and Raynard Marubbio, both originally from Minnesota. But there was one problem: traditional DNA testing could not distinguish between identical twins, who share nearly the same genetic code.

That changed when scientists turned to whole genome sequencing, a powerful technique that can spot tiny differences called Somatic mutations, rare changes in DNA that are unique to each twin. With the help of Parabon Nanolabs and genealogist CeCe Moore, forensic experts identified these rare mutations in Russell Marubbio’s DNA, providing conclusive evidence linking him to the 1987 crime.

Last week, a Virginia jury found Russell Marubbio guilty, marking the first conviction in the U.S. where DNA differentiated identical twins. His brother, Raynard, was cleared.