Educational Materials for Families
The following documents give an overview of the DNA analysis process so that surviving family and friends will understand what DNA analysis can and cannot do, describes the sources of DNA that forensic scientists might use, and explains the differences between nuclear and mitochondrial DNA.
- Identifying Victims Using DNA: A Guide for Families, National Institute of Justice, 2005 (also available in Spanish)
- The California Department of Justice Missing Persons DNA Program, California Department of Justice (available for download in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
- Missing: Information on the Texas Missing Persons DNA Database (pdf), DNA Identity Laboratory at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth.
In addition to these documents, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's guide When Your Child Is Missing: A Family Survival Guide provides parents with the most current information on, and helpful insights into, what families should do when a child is missing.
