TY - JOUR
T1 - The Victorian missing persons DNA database - two interesting case studies
AU - Hartman, Dadna
AU - Benton, Linda Rose
AU - Spiden, Michelle Claire
AU - Stock, April Lamande
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - The investigation of missing persons often requires the reconciliation of what is
known about the missing person in life (ante-mortem information) with information
obtained from the post-mortem examination of unknown deceased persons, when
the missing person is presumed deceased. In most missing persons cases, the antemortem
information will include personal information as well as any dental and
medical records; with some also including fingerprint information. In Victoria, this
information is captured by Victoria Police using PlassData, as a repository of information.
Whilst PlassData can be used to record vital DNA profiling information,
what is lacking is the ability to conduct direct or kinship searches to look for
matches between missing persons cases and unidentified deceased. In 2010, the Victorian
Institute of Forensic Medicine, in collaboration with Victoria Police, established
the Victorian Missing Persons DNA Database ? capable of conducting
kinship and direct searches using both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA profiling
data. Here we describe two interesting case studies; the first highlights the need to
conduct at least two types of DNA analysis ? such as nuclear and mitochondrial
DNA analyses ? to confirm a match; and the second, the importance of such a database
to identify cold cases.
AB - The investigation of missing persons often requires the reconciliation of what is
known about the missing person in life (ante-mortem information) with information
obtained from the post-mortem examination of unknown deceased persons, when
the missing person is presumed deceased. In most missing persons cases, the antemortem
information will include personal information as well as any dental and
medical records; with some also including fingerprint information. In Victoria, this
information is captured by Victoria Police using PlassData, as a repository of information.
Whilst PlassData can be used to record vital DNA profiling information,
what is lacking is the ability to conduct direct or kinship searches to look for
matches between missing persons cases and unidentified deceased. In 2010, the Victorian
Institute of Forensic Medicine, in collaboration with Victoria Police, established
the Victorian Missing Persons DNA Database ? capable of conducting
kinship and direct searches using both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA profiling
data. Here we describe two interesting case studies; the first highlights the need to
conduct at least two types of DNA analysis ? such as nuclear and mitochondrial
DNA analyses ? to confirm a match; and the second, the importance of such a database
to identify cold cases.
UR - http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00450618.2014.922617
U2 - 10.1080/00450618.2014.922617
DO - 10.1080/00450618.2014.922617
M3 - Article
SN - 0045-0618
VL - 47
SP - 161
EP - 172
JO - Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences
JF - Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences
IS - 2
ER -