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Forensic odontology is the use of dental evidence for personal identification. Dental radiographs, written treatment records, and other dental information can be uploaded to NamUs, to be available to authorized criminal justice users and allied forensic professionals for comparison and identification or exclusion.

AFIS is an acronym that stands for Automated Fingerprint Identification System and is used to describe any automated system that is used to obtain, store, and analyze digital fingerprint data. NamUs utilizes a Cogent AFIS (CAFIS) system to store, search, and compare digital fingerprint data for missing and unidentified persons prior to national fingerprint searching.

NGI is an acronym that stands for Next Generation Identification, which replaced the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). NGI incorporates fingerprint and palm print searching with other biometric searches to make identifications, including identifications of decedents.

Since 2017 NamUs has collaborated with the FBI Latent Print Support Unit to search all fingerprints of unidentified decedents submitted to NamUs through NGI. To date, over 250 fingerprint hits have resulted from these efforts, with the oldest resolved case dating back to 1975.

Forensic anthropology is the analysis of skeletal remains to distinguish historical/archaeological remains from modern remains, develop biological profiles – such as sex, ancestry, stature, and age – to aid searches for possible matches, identify skeletal remains based on comparisons of medical and radiographic information, and analyze trauma to contribute to determination of cause and manner of death.

Nuclear DNA is found in the nucleus of a cell and can be used to develop STR and Y-STR DNA profiles for the identification of human remains. STRs are the primary genetic markers used in human identification worldwide. Y-STRs are unique in that they are found only in males and thus provide information inherited only through paternal lineage. Lineage markers allow for use of family reference samples beyond first-order relatives.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is found in the mitochondria of a cell and contains genetic material inherited from the maternal lineage. mtDNA is an important forensic tool, as it is the most sensitive marker for typing challenged samples, providing results often when STR profiles cannot be obtained from unidentified remains. mtDNA provides information only through the maternal line. Lineage markers allow for use of family reference samples beyond first-order relatives.

The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), managed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is the FBI’s program of support for criminal justice DNA databases, as well as the software used to run these databases. CODIS operates on three levels: The Local DNA Index System (LDIS), which is used by city and county laboratories, the State DNA Index System (SDIS) where profiles from laboratories across the State can be compared, and the National DNA Index System (NDIS), where profiles from laboratories across the country can be compared.  For more info visit the FBI CODIS FAQ Page.

Family members can provide voluntarily DNA samples to be profiled and uploaded to CODIS, where they can only be searched against the profiles of unidentified persons or remains in CODIS to locate their missing loved one (34 U.S.C. § 12592(a)(4)). DNA profiles for family members cannot be searched against the CODIS profiles of arrestees or convicted offenders, or profiles of unknown suspects who have committed crimes.

Two or more close biological relatives of the missing person should provide DNA samples for searching in CODIS. One of these relatives, whenever available, should always be a maternal relative. Samples must be collected by a law enforcement officer or other criminal justice personnel, and relatives must sign a consent form indicating their willingness to provide their DNA for searching against the profiles of unidentified persons and remains in CODIS.