1. Overview of NamUs: The Databases, Personnel and Forensic Resources
B.J. Spamer
Director, Training and Analysis Division
UNT Health Science Center
Office:

2. 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”.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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”

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

18. Regional System Administrators
Jerry Brown

19. Forensic Services Available Through NamUs
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

20. Forensic Odontology Locating/acquiring dental records
Coding dentals for NCIC and NamUs entry
Performing dental comparisons between missing and unidentified persons

21. NCIC and NamUs Dental Coding

22. Forensic Odontology Dr. John Filippi 817-666-5424

23. Forensic Odontology Dr. Rich Scanlon 817-487-9645

24. Fingerprint Examination
Locating/acquiring fingerprint records
Coding prints for NCIC and NamUs entry
Facilitating fingerprint database searches
Performing fingerprint comparisons

25. Fingerprint Databases
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:
Federal Bureau of Investigation - Criminal Justice Information Services - Special Processing Center (FBI-CJIS-SPC)
Department of Homeland Security US-VISIT Biometric Support Center (DHS-BSC)

26. FBI CJIS Special Processing Center
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:
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.

27. US-VISIT Database 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.

28. NamUs Fingerprint Specialist
William “Bill” Bailey

29. Forensic Anthropology

30. 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

31. Free Online DNA/CODIS Training

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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

35. Y-Chromosome (Y-STR) Profiles
Y-STR profiles are passed only to a MALE child and only by the FATHER.
Mother
Father
Daughter
Son

36. Y-Chromosome (Y-STR) Profiles
All males sharing the same paternal lineage will share the same Y-STR profile.
Missing
Person

37. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
mtDNA profiles are passed to MALE and FEMALE children, but only from the MOTHER.
Mother
Father
Daughter
Son

38. Mitochondrial (mtDNA) Profiles
All females sharing the same maternal lineage will share the same mtDNA profile.
Missing
Person

39. 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

40. CODIS Mito Laboratories
MN Bureau of Criminal
Apprehension
New York Office
of the Chief ME
New Jersey
State Police Lab
California Dept of
Justice
FBI
Virginia Dept. of
Forensic Sciences
Arizona Dept. of
Public Safety
UNT Center for Human ID

41. 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

42. Family Reference Submission Paperwork

43. Family Reference Collection Kits
Kits can be ordered through the NamUs DNA screen or from:

44. The NamUs DNA Screen

45. Forensic Art
Forensic 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.

46. Project EDAN

47. NamUs Analytical Services
Searches for missing persons
Locating next of kin for death notifications
Locating additional family members for DNA collections

48. 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

49. NamUs Analysts
Missing Person Searches: Dustin Driscoll ViCAP Analysis: Sue Stiltner

50. Contact Information
B.J. Spamer
Director, Training and Analysis Division
UNT Health Science Center
Office: