DNA Projects Target Missing Persons Cases
Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Institute of Justice, October 2006
On any given day, there are as many as 100,000 active missing persons cases in the United States, and every year, tens of thousands of people vanish under suspicious circumstances. Missing persons and unidentified human remains (UHR) investigations-—particularly, if a case goes cold—present a tremendous challenge for financially strapped state and local law enforcement agencies. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is working to help local jurisdictions meet these challenges.
By Glenn R. Schmitt, Acting Director, National Institute of Justice. Reprinted from The CJIS Link (Vol. 9, No. 3, October 2006), the newsletter of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division.
Medical Examiners and Coroners' Offices, 2004
Bureau of Justice Statistics, June 2007Presents key findings from the 2004 Census of Medical Examiners and Coroners' (ME/C) Offices. This special report describes the medicolegal investigation of death in the United States. It provides an overview of the personnel, budgets, and workload of these offices by type of office and size of jurisdiction. It also includes information on the number of unidentified human decedents handled by ME/C offices. The report examines record keeping practices and use of national databases for unidentified remains. Detailed data tables on topics covered in this report are available on the BJS website.
Lessons Learned From 9/11: DNA Identification in Mass Fatality Incidents
National Institute of Justice 2006
Prepared by a group of the Nation's top forensic scientists, Lessons Learned From 9/11: DNA Identification in Mass Fatality Incidents offers a look back—and a look forward. The report reviews the experiences of the Kinship and Data Analysis Panel (KADAP), a blue-ribbon panel assembled by the National Institute of Justice after the 9/11 attacks. The KADAP's role was to support the work of New York City's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in the identification—through DNA analysis—of the World Trade Center victims. The report also looks to the future, offering "best practices" guidance (particularly to the Nation's laboratory directors) on preparing a plan for responding to a mass fatality event, whether caused by terrorism or natural disaster.
Investigative Guidance Applicable to Missing Persons Cases
California Department of Justice Missing Persons DNA Program
California Department of Justice
Describes California's Missing Persons DNA Databases in lay terms and can help families of missing persons understand how DNA testing might be used.
Available for download (Adobe PDF) in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for Law Enforcement (NIJ, 2000)
This guide discusses the fundamental principles of investigating a crime scene and preserving evidence that need to be practiced in order to yield reliable information. NIJ also has released a trainer's guide to accompany this document, Crime Scene Investigation: A Reference for Law Enforcement Training.
Death Investigation: A Guide for the Scene Investigator (NIJ, 1999)
This document is intended as a guide to recommended practices for the investigation of death scenes. Jurisdictional, logistical, or legal conditions may preclude the use of particular procedures contained herein.
Handbook of Forensic Services 2003 (FBI, 2003)
The Handbook provides guidance and procedures for safe and efficient methods of collecting, preserving, packaging, and shipping evidence and describes the forensic examinations performed by the FBI's Laboratory Division and Investigative Technology Division.
Missing: Information on the Texas Missing Persons DNA Database
This document, published by the DNA Identity Laboratory at the University of North Texas, describes the Texas missing persons database and serves as a broad guide for States interesting in established similar programs.
Understanding DNA Evidence: A Guide for Victim Service Providers (NIJ & OVC, 2001)
This brochure describes the value of DNA evidence for victim service providers to help them understand the potential significance of DNA evidence to their clients' cases. It also discusses evidence collection, contamination, and preservation issues; the interpretation of DNA test results; and the CODIS index.
Using DNA to Solve Cold Cases (NIJ, 2002)
This NIJ Special Report serves as a practical resource for law enforcement personnel who review old, cold, or unsolved cases that may be solved through the use of DNA technology and databases. The report looks at the science and technology of DNA testing and databases and provides background information on legal and practical considerations for applying DNA technology to unsolved cases.
When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide
Report, May 2004; revised from 1998. Provides parents with the most current information on, and helpful insights into, what families should do when a child is missing. 108 pages. NCJ 204958.
Federal Resources on Missing and Exploited Children: A Directory for Law Enforcement and Other Public and Private Agencies, 2005 Edition (pdf, 188 pages)
Describes the Federal services, programs, publications, and training sessions that address child sexual exploitation issues, child pornography, child abduction, Internet crime, and missing children cases. 188 pages. NCJ 216857.
