© 2024 WSIU Public Broadcasting
WSIU Public Broadcasting
Member-Supported Public Media from Southern Illinois University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Law Aims To Improve Pursuit Of Missing Persons Cases

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System
Credit National Missing and Unidentified Persons System

A new state law taking effect in January will make it easier for police to connect unidentified bodies to missing persons cases.

House Bill 2708 will require law enforcement to collect certain types of evidence such as DNA samples from remains they find. These will then be entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System federal database. Captain Abigail Keller, Zone 6 Commander, Illinois State Police, said this in turn will help missing persons investigations.

“It’s also going to allow us to enter that same kind of data, the DNA, the fingerprints, the X-rays, into the NamUs repository so that it can be cross-referenced with those unidentified human remains cases for potential matches," she said. 

Keller said the current database they use, NCIC, is poorly suited to coordinating with other law enforcement groups and even local officials, especially since it can’t be accessed by the public. NamUs,  does, and the extra DNA information from the unidentified remains could help connect evidence with active or unsolved cases already on file. 

ISP can also work with their local crime lab or a NamUS partner lab in Texas, to process DNA solicited from family members of a missing person. That DNA can then be compared with what is found on an unidentified corpse. 

Copyright 2020 WNIJ Northern Public Radio

Chase started in radio while earning his Master's in diplomacy and international commerce at the University of Kentucky. He was bitten by the radio bug while volunteering at Radio Eye (a local equivalent to NIRIS) and soon became a reporter at WUKY. After four years of reporting in Kentucky's Bluegrass, Chase traveled north to join WNIJ as Morning Edition producer. He organizes our morning broadcast, making sure the host is well-supplied with interesting, fresh content. In addition to his pre-dawn duties, Chase reports on a variety of developments in our broadcast area but is particularly drawn to anything with a political or international connection. He is also an avid board gamer.
As a WSIU donor, you don’t simply watch or listen to public media programs, you are a partner. By making a gift, you help WSIU produce, purchase, and broadcast programs you care about and enjoy – every day of the year.