Identifying Missing and Unidentified Persons: A New Methodology
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC 301
Start Date
17-5-2012
End Date
17-5-2012
Abstract
The challenges in Washington State for missing and unidentified persons are complex and part of a national problem. The National Institute of Justice estimates that there are 40,000 unidentified remains in the United States and that there are as many as 100,000 active missing person’s cases at any given time (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, 2011). My project study will identify how many additional missing and unidentified person cases there are by compiling the databases of the private and other governmental run databases to Washington State’s database. From these comprehensive comparisons, I will identify the Washington cases that are not in our State’s database or the National database. I will also identify the Washington cases that lack dental, DNA and family reference DNA submissions, which like other states, contribute to the growing number of unidentified remains across the nation. From there, law enforcement agencies will be given the data to update their system which ultimately uploads into the state system. By identifying the cases specific to the agencies that lack DNA and Dental, it will bring awareness to each case of what samples are still needed in order to give these cases the best chance they have for identification and recovery.
Recommended Citation
Blume, Andrea, "Identifying Missing and Unidentified Persons: A New Methodology" (2012). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 4.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2012/oralpresentations/4
Additional Mentoring Department
Law and Justice
Identifying Missing and Unidentified Persons: A New Methodology
SURC 301
The challenges in Washington State for missing and unidentified persons are complex and part of a national problem. The National Institute of Justice estimates that there are 40,000 unidentified remains in the United States and that there are as many as 100,000 active missing person’s cases at any given time (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, 2011). My project study will identify how many additional missing and unidentified person cases there are by compiling the databases of the private and other governmental run databases to Washington State’s database. From these comprehensive comparisons, I will identify the Washington cases that are not in our State’s database or the National database. I will also identify the Washington cases that lack dental, DNA and family reference DNA submissions, which like other states, contribute to the growing number of unidentified remains across the nation. From there, law enforcement agencies will be given the data to update their system which ultimately uploads into the state system. By identifying the cases specific to the agencies that lack DNA and Dental, it will bring awareness to each case of what samples are still needed in order to give these cases the best chance they have for identification and recovery.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Charles Reasons