While none of the swabs collected in Hampshire could be linked to any "cold cases", Ms Cooper insisted it was "only a matter of time" before such a case was solved in England and Wales through the efforts of Operation Nutmeg.

BBC: A DNA autoradiogram

"The ability to harness the true power of social media, and focus it on a case that needs to be solved will help law enforcement close cases more quickly and bring closure to the families of victims who are still waiting for justice, " said Morgan Wright, CEO and Chief Crime Fighter of Crowd Sourced Investigations, LLC.

ENGADGET: Connected To The Case to use Facebook for crowd-sourced crime solving

Wheeler still thinks about his dad--and how his four-year-old company might have solved the case a lot quicker.

FORBES: Cyber-Sleuths

The case also reawakened memories of the killing of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986, a murder which was never solved.

BBC: NEWS | Europe | Lindh killer gets life for murder