COLUMBUS – Family members of more than 900 missing Ohioans have a chance to submit DNA samples to aid in identification and learn about the latest technology helping law enforcement agencies locating and identify missing persons.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation is holding the third annual Ohio Missing Persons Day on Saturday from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at Battelle, 505 King Avenue.
BCI criminal intelligence analysts and forensic scientists will be available to collect DNA from missing persons’ loved ones for inclusion in the Ohio Linking Individuals Not Known (LINK) Program, established in 1999 to help match DNA taken from family members of missing individuals to DNA from unidentified remains.
Family members who are interested in submitting DNA for Ohio LINK are encouraged to bring copies of photographs, police reports, medical and dental records, and X-rays associated with their missing loved one’s case.
Samples of DNA submitted by family members as part of the LINK Program are compared only to DNA samples of unidentified remains submitted through similar programs nationwide.
The event will also feature Battelle who will discuss massively parallel sequencing technology (MPS), an emerging DNA technology being researched at Battelle in partnership with BCI to support missing persons investigations.
Clay facial reconstruction models of unidentified remains created by a BCI forensic artist will also be on display in an effort to identify the unknown individuals.