How is the FBI addressing that issue in terms of building its database of reference samples?
MR. DIZINNO: We have developed a form for next of kin of missing individuals to fill out voluntarily. Again, it states that that DNA sample will be taken solely for that purpose and included in the database for that purpose. So it’s a voluntary consent form for next of kin. MR. SCHMITT: Is there an issue here on mitochondrial or nuclear DNA? Does anyone know if the condition of these bodies is such usually that you need to use mitochondrial most of the time? MS. SAMPLES: The reason our laboratory even moved at all towards developing our mitochondrial DNA capacity was because our chief medical examiner wanted us to have the capability to identify bodies in house because we do often get bodies that are well beyond the scope of nuclear DNA. So that’s what had prompted us to go that route in the first place. A lot of times if a body is unidentified and it’s in good shape, within a week or two they figure out who it is and they cease to be unidentified. If I was to go back to my lab and sta
