NYC medical examiner to hold DNA collection to help solve missing persons cases, officials say

Families from Long Island and elsewhere who have missing and possibly deceased relatives can give DNA reference samples and other information about their loved ones during an “NYC Missing Persons Day" event hosted by the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Saturday, officials said Monday.

The special free event — the sixth in recent years — is aimed at helping all communities impacted by missing and unidentified persons, as well as to provide confidential support to families, said Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner. Residents from any locality can attend.

Past missing persons events have led to the identification of 30 persons, including an estimated five to 10 from Long Island, whose remains were located around the country and had remained unidentified, according to Mark Desire, assistant director of forensic biology for the medical examiner’s office.

"This really shows the families that we haven’t forgotten," said Desire, whose team of scientists is also involved in analysis of World Trade Center remains. "No matter how long ago your relative went missing, we are going to do everything to find that relative.”

As a result of last year's event, a family from Long Island who had reported their mother missing was able to find out what had happened to her, Desire said.

Saturday’s event will take place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the medical examiner facility in Manhattan at 421 East 26th St., just off First Avenue. Families will also have the option of attending virtually via a special link.

Family DNA reference samples will be first unloaded to the local OCME database, then New York State DNA systems and then a special national database, as well as databases maintained by the special federal government National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, known as NAMUS. Desire stressed that all of the DNA databases are secure.

Records show that thousands of unidentified human remains have been found all over the country since 2010, with NAMUS reporting about 1,200 in New York City, 16 in Nassau County and 26 in Suffolk County. Some of these cases may go back as far as 1982, officials said.

If any criminality is suspected, detectives from the NYPD missing persons squad will be on hand at the missing persons event to have more detailed interviews to get information from families and friends of the missing, Desire explained.

Attendees are strongly encouraged to make an appointment by calling 212-323-1201. Providing information is voluntary and used only for the purpose of making identifications, officials said. A virtual option is available for those who cannot attend in person. Interpretation services are available.

More information can be found at nyc.gov/ocme, or by calling 212-323-1201. 

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.