The RCMP are launching a National Missing Persons DNA Program (NMPDP).
The Program will be supported by the National Centre for Missing Person’s and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR), as well as the scientific support the National DNA Data Bank (NDDB) already provides to criminal investigations.
The RCMP describes the NMPDP as “a nationally coordinated program to advance missing persons and unidentified remains investigations.”
The RCMP says the NMPDP will be the first time the NDDB will be able to retain or compare profiles from non-criminal missing persons or unidentified remains investigations. The Program will also be able to retain or compare victim or volunteer DNA to help support criminal investigations.
Last month, RCMP officials were able to prove that a bone fragment found 15-years ago belonged to a 1990 missing woman.
Earlier this month, a man was listed as missing in the Yellowknife area. RCMP have not updated the status of Detacho Anis Abel since confirming that he had not been found, despite numerous listener reports.
Since the creation of the NDDB in 2000, many updates have followed. The latest updates in 2014 have allowed for several new indices into how the NDDB categorizes DNA.
