Identification of unknown persons, be they missing or unidentified, is a
significant challenge, an important humanitarian responsibility, and a fundamental part
of the healing process for families and communities. The only resolution for the
families (and friends) who have lost a relative is credible confirmation of the death of
their family member (and friend) and that the remains of their relative (and friend) will
be treated with dignity, in accordance with their culture, religious beliefs, and the laws
of their respective countries. Forensic evidence can play a significant role in the
humanitarian and investigative processes. Of the various forensic tools to assist in the
identification process, DNA is particularly versatile because it can be found in all
tissues of the human body and thus does not rely on a specific target tissue, as do, for
example, fingerprints and dental records. Moreover, in the absence of antemortem
samples or records, DNA identification can be carried out by kinship analyses as long
as family reference samples are available. The concepts and foundations of relationship
testing are well-established and described herein. Current DNA typing capabilities have
been a mainstay in unknown person identifications and in disaster victim
identifications. However, DNA technologies and databases have advanced substantially
in the past few years to enhance the scope and reach of kinship analyses. Expanded
technology capabilities (high throughput sequencing and concomitant bioinformatics)
and additional types of DNA databases (genetic genealogy) enable higher accuracies in
kinship testing, association with more distant relatives, and greater typing success due
to analysis of lower quantity and quality samples. Combining kinship data with access
to public records and enhanced bioinformatic and computational power enables
forensic investigative genetic genealogy to provide better success of humanitarian
services for families and communities, as well as identification of the source(s) of
evidence found at crime scenes.
Keywords: Databases, Genetic genealogy, Human identity testing, Human remains, Identity by descent, Kinship, Missing persons, SNPs, Unknown persons, Victim identification.
