Overview of NamUs: The Databases, Personnel and Forensic Resources B.J. Spamer Director, Training...
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Overview of NamUs: The Databases, Personnel and Forensic Resources B.J. Spamer Director, Training and Analysis Division NamUs @ UNT Health Science Center Office: 817-735-5473 Email: [email protected]
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Transcript of Overview of NamUs: The Databases, Personnel and Forensic Resources B.J. Spamer Director, Training...
Overview of NamUs:The Databases, Personnel and
Forensic Resources
B.J. SpamerDirector, Training and Analysis Division
NamUs @ UNT Health Science Center
Office: 817-735-5473
Email: [email protected]
The Missing and Unidentified Problem
• On any given day in the United States,
there are between 80,000 to 100,000
active missing person cases entered
into NCIC.
• Almost half of these cases have a date
of last contact over one year ago –
“cold cases”.
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Study
• For many years, the true extent of the
unidentified decedent problem was unknown.
• In June 2007, the Bureau of Justice Statistics
issued a report indicating that medical
examiners, coroners and law enforcement
agencies across the country held the remains of
13,486 unidentified decedents as of 2004.
1 Medical Examiner and Coroners’ Offices, 2004: Hickman, Hughes, Strom and Rupero-Miller. http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/meco04.pdf
A Much Larger Problem
Taking into account that many agencies retained no records on unidentified decedents, and that remains of many other decedents had been cremated or buried, some experts estimated the actual number of unidentified decedent cases across the country to be closer to 40,000.
Silent Mass Disaster Over Time
One thing is clear. Regardless what the true number of unidentified human decedents is in the United States, the missing and unidentified problem is
truly our nation’s“Silent Mass Disaster”
www.NamUs.gov
The UNT Center for Human Identification
3400 Camp Bowie Boulevard
Fort Worth, TX 76107
3 Divisions:
• Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology
• Laboratory for Molecular Identification
• Forensic Services Unit / NamUs
Focus:
• Missing and unidentified persons
• Forensic casework for Texas agencies
NCIC Entries as of May 1, 2012
Missing Persons (MP)
Active Colorado MP Cases: 1,052
Active Cases Nationwide: 85,184
Unidentified Persons (UP)
Active Colorado UP Cases: 41
Active Cases Nationwide: 7,746
NamUs Entries as of May 31, 2012
Missing Persons (MP)
Active Colorado MP Cases: 132
Active Cases Nationwide: 7,495
Unidentified Persons (UP)
Active Colorado UP Cases: 34
Active Cases Nationwide: 8,462
www.NamUs.gov
www.FindTheMissing.org
www.FindTheMissing.org
www.IdentifyUs.org
www.ClaimUs.org
• Forensic Odontologists on staff
• Fingerprint Examiner on staff
• DNA analyses through the UNT Center for Human Identification’s Laboratory for Molecular Identification
• Coordination with local, state and federal DNA laboratories across the country to affect comparisons
• Forensic Anthropology through the UNT Center for Human Identification’s Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology
Forensic Services AvailableThrough NamUs
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• Locating/acquiring dental records
• Coding dentals for NCIC and NamUs entry
• Performing dental comparisons between missing and unidentified persons
Forensic Odontology
NCIC and NamUs Dental Coding
• Locating/acquiring fingerprint records
• Coding prints for NCIC and NamUs entry
• Facilitating fingerprint database searches
• Performing fingerprint comparisons
Fingerprint Examination
• It is not sufficient to have your unidentified remains prints run only through your local or state fingerprint databases.
• Prints should also be run through two federal agencies:
1. Federal Bureau of Investigation - Criminal Justice Information Services - Special Processing Center (FBI-CJIS-SPC)
2. Department of Homeland Security US-VISIT Biometric Support Center (DHS-BSC)
Fingerprint Databases
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Justice Information Center’s Special Processing Center (FBI-CJIS-SPC) “contains approximately 66 million criminal fingerprint records that can be searched electronically in its Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) and approximately 30 million civil and military fingerprints records that can be searched manually”.
• For more information on the CJIS-SPC, visit: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis
Source: Mulawka, M. and Craig, J. “The Efficacy of Submitting Fingerprints of Unidentified Remains to Federal Agencies”. Journal of Forensic Identification, 92/61 (1), 2011.
FBI CJIS Special Processing Center
Some Sources of BSC’s 100 Million+ Fingerprints:• Known or Suspected Terrorists• Department of Defense Military
Operations• Wanted Persons• Deported felons• International Criminals• Sex Offenders• Aliens/Criminal History• State/Local Criminals• Gangs• Expedited Removals• Visa Denials• Recidivists/Alerts
• US Entries• Visa Applications• Border Crossing Card
Applications• Individuals Granted Asylum• Refugees• Border Patrol Entry/Exit
Approximately 70% of the BSC fingerprints are not replicated in any other local, state or federal fingerprint database.
US-VISIT Database
Forensic Anthropology
DNA Profiles Used in MP and UP Cases
Three types of profiles used in missing and unidentified person investigations:
– STR Profiles
• Short Tandem Repeats
• Also commonly referred to as “Nuclear” DNA profiles
– Y-STR Profiles
• Y-Chromosome Short Tandem Repeats
– Mitochondrial (mtDNA) Profiles
Free Online DNA/CODIS Training
www.untfsu.com/onlinetraining.html
Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Profiles
STR profiles (also called NUCLEAR DNA PROFILES) are passed down to a child by both the mother and father – 50% from each parent.
Mother Father
Daughter Son
Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Profiles
Mother Father
Daughter Son
STR profiles (also called NUCLEAR DNA PROFILES) are passed down to a child by both the mother and father – 50% from each parent.
Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Profiles
Mother Father
Daughter Son
STR profiles (also called NUCLEAR DNA PROFILES) are passed down to a child by both the mother and father – 50% from each parent.
Y-Chromosome (Y-STR) Profiles
Y-STR profiles are passed only to a MALE child and only by the FATHER.
Mother Father
Daughter Son
Y-Chromosome (Y-STR) Profiles
All males sharing the same paternal lineage will share the same Y-STR profile.
MissingPerson
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
mtDNA profiles are passed to MALE and FEMALE children, but only from the MOTHER.
Mother Father
Daughter Son
Mitochondrial (mtDNA) Profiles
All females sharing the same maternal lineage will share the same mtDNA profile.
MissingPerson
From Whom To Collect DNA Samples
You must collect AT LEAST TWO family reference samples for proper CODIS searching to take place:
• Mother• Father• Offspring of Missing Person
– Collect second parent to exclude their STR profile
• Full Sibling • Half Sibling• Consider grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. for Y-
STRs and mtDNA profiles if closer blood relatives are not available
New Jersey State Police Lab
MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
California Dept of Justice
UNT Center for Human ID
FBI
Arizona Dept. of Public Safety
New York Office of the Chief ME
Virginia Dept. of Forensic Sciences
CODIS Mito Laboratories
Family Reference Collection Kits
Collection kits contain:
Chain of custody form Consent form Relationship of DNA donor Fax-Back form Latex gloves Buccal swab collectors Postage-paid return envelope
These materials ensure proper documentation, collection, and chain of custody on each collected sample
Family Reference Submission Paperwork
Family Reference Collection KitsKits can be ordered through the NamUs DNA screen or from:
1-800-763-3147
The NamUs DNA Screen
Forensic ArtForensic Art is another investigative tool that can assist with both missing and unidentified person cases:
• Facial reconstructions draw more public attention to an unidentified remains case.
Project EDAN
NamUs Analytical Services
• Searches for missing persons
• Locating next of kin for death notifications
• Locating additional family members for DNA collections
ViCAP• An analyst from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s
Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) serves as a full-time liaison between ViCAP and NamUs to:
• Review missing and unidentified person cases marked “foul play suspected” for possible referral to ViCAP for more in-depth analysis
• Cross-pollinate missing and unidentified person cases
• Coordinate additional ViCAP resources
NamUs Analysts
Missing Person Searches:
Dustin Driscoll
817-240-4106
ViCAP Analysis:
Sue Stiltner
817-487-9970
Contact Information
B.J. SpamerDirector, Training and Analysis Division
NamUs @ UNT Health Science Center
Office: 817-735-5473
Email: [email protected]
www.NamUs.govwww.UNTFSU.com
