Review
Forensic utilization of familial searches in DNA databases

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Abstract

DNA evidence is widely recognized as an invaluable tool in the process of investigation and identification, as well as one of the most sought after types of evidence for presentation to a jury. In the United States, the development of state and federal DNA databases has greatly impacted the forensic community by creating an efficient, searchable system that can be used to eliminate or include suspects in an investigation based on matching DNA profiles – the profile already in the database to the profile of the unknown sample in evidence. Recent changes in legislation have begun to allow for the possibility to expand the parameters of DNA database searches, taking into account the possibility of familial searches.

This article discusses prospective positive outcomes of utilizing familial DNA searches and acknowledges potential negative outcomes, thereby presenting both sides of this very complicated, rapidly evolving situation.

Introduction

Such major advancements have occurred in the field of forensic science within the past fifteen years that investigative techniques are hardly comparable to what they were in the not-so-distant past. In the 1980s, forensic biologists began to establish DNA as a pillar of the investigative process. The application of DNA to forensic problems underwent prolific growth in the years that followed, and today DNA is one of the most highly regarded tools available to the forensic scientist. In fact, one of the most recent developments in forensic DNA technology is also potentially one of the most significant advancements in forensic science of the past fifteen years – the establishment of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a computer database funded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which stores DNA profiles submitted by local, state, and federal crime laboratories in the United States of America.

Individual United States state codes (which vary from state to state) dictate not only which DNA profiles are uploaded to DNA databases, but also how the profiles in the databases can be searched. Proposed considerations to broaden the boundaries of forensic DNA searches have already become a highly contested issue, but policymakers (and the public) often find the information about this issue to be sparse and incomplete. The primary purpose of this article is to fill the void in the scientific arena by centralizing the information surrounding familial DNA searches, thus making the issue more comprehensible. This article will present general information about DNA databases and the process of familial searching, as well as describe the new policies regarding familial searches in DNA databases. The authors seek to provide a well-rounded perspective by acknowledging both positive and negative potential outcomes of familial searches. The article will conclude by highlighting several case examples in which familial searching has been utilized successfully.

Section snippets

General DNA database information

Each of the fifty states in the United States has developed its own individual DNA database, with varying inclusion criteria. Many states are currently working to expand their inclusion criteria, mostly to include DNA profiles from all felonies [1]. Forty-seven states currently collect DNA samples from all felony convictions (Idaho, Nebraska, and New Hampshire collect from most but not all felonies) [2].

In 1990, the FBI created the CODIS database, a pilot program designed to allow federal,

Familial searching

Familial searching is the process of purposefully searching a DNA database for a match at only a limited subset of the available typed loci (i.e. low stringency search) in an attempt to locate previously unknown relatives in order to open up new investigative leads. As previously described, such searches would yield a larger number of possible suspects by incorporating low stringency matches – DNA profiles that match the unknown profile at fewer loci. These low stringency matches may indicate a

Policies dictating familial searching

When a laboratory searches for a DNA match by comparing the profile of an unknown forensic sample against either the profiles of convicted offenders or other unknown samples, the search will yield a number of results, most of which will not match the profile at all 13 loci (if a perfect match exists in the database at all). While these partial matches may arise in a routine searches, partial matches can also be purposefully sought by conducting a familial search. The ability to deliberately

Arguments for and against familial searching

For the United States, the process of familial searching has long been utilized in cases of unidentified human remains, but is only recently being considered as a potential method for identifying suspects. In the United Kingdom, familial searching has been utilized for years, with a 10–14% success rate of identifying offenders [12]. Familial searching holds numerous investigative possibilities, the most important of which is the potential to resolve a higher percentage of cases. With the

Successfully utilized familial DNA searches

For the United States, the process of familial searching might be a new and controversial issue but Great Britain has been successfully utilizing familial searching for years. In tandem with traditional investigative techniques, familial searches have been effective in identifying offenders in a variety of forensic cases, from car break-ins and robberies to sexual assaults and homicides. For instance, in 1993 a female passenger was sexually assaulted by her cab driver. Initial searches within

Conclusion and future directions

Familial DNA searching can prove to be an invaluable tool for forensic investigations if the process and resulting information are utilized as just that – an investigative tool. Advocates of familial searching advise that these searches should be neither the first step nor the sole source of information, but should instead be used only as a portion of the investigation when all other leads have been exhausted. On the contrary, critics remain adamant about the potential for privacy violations

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