Information for Relatives of Missing Persons,
Coroners, Medical Examiners & Law Enforcement Agencies

UNTCHI personnel will work with medical examiners, coroners' offices, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Center for Missing Adults, and law enforcement agencies throughout the United States with the submission, collection, and analyses of Missing Persons samples.

A missing person report should be filed with the Law Enforcement Agency having jurisdiction where the individual was last seen or last resided. The Law Enforcement Agency will determine if the missing person meets a "High Risk" criteria. The agency may ask the family to submit personal articles belonging to the missing person (Direct Reference Sample, DRS); in addition, they may need to collect Family Reference Samples (FRS). The collection and submission of FRS samples can only be collected and submitted by the Law Enforcement Agency. Family reference collection kits (swabs) and the required paperwork are provided by UNTSCHI. The collection kits and testing are provided free of charge.

After analyses, the profiles will be entered into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System and uploaded to the FBI's National Missing Persons DNA Database.

Correspondence is mediated through the Law Enforcement Agency. If a match occurs, the Law Enforcement Agency will notify the family.

Law Enforcement Agencies, Medical Examiners, and Coroners may need to submit Unidentified Human Remains, (UHR). Identifying remains through DNA can be a lengthy process. There may be cases where there is no usable DNA or not enough relatives available for testing; however, our professional staff will pursue every avenue to obtain a profile.

All sample submissions, particularly Unidentified Human Remains, must be coordinated through the UNTCHI Evidence Custodian for special shipping and handling instructions.

CONTACT UNTCHI - MISSING PERSONS:

Missing Persons E-Mail:

Printable Sample Forms: