The Potential of Forensic Genetics in Resolving the Fate of the Missing Thomas Parsons Director of Forensic Science International Commission on Missing Persons

1. Thomas Parsons
Director of Forensic Science
International Commission on Missing Persons
The Potential of Forensic Genetics in
Resolving the Fate of the Missing

3. What are the technical tools needed?
• Discovery
– Information systems
– Social Media
– Remote Imaging
– Geophysics
– Physical probing
• Recovery
– Scene of Crime Documentation
– Forensic Archaeology
– Specialized Search and Recovery Teams; Canine, Diving, etc…
• Identification
– Pathology, Fingerprint, Dental, Medical, Anthropology, DNA
– Systems for collection of AM data
– Databases and informatics for storage and comparison
• Protection of Sensitive Data

4. Additional Hallmarks, Key Considerations
• In many incidents, response is conducted within a
rule of law framework.
– Response should be a responsibility of states.
– Terrorism
• Criminal Investigations
– Recovery pattern, identifications, etc… pertain to both
prosecutions and family relief
– War Crimes and Human Rights Violations
• In addition to the “right to know the truth” we must consider
“right to justice” through effective investigation
– Requirement for high grade forensic analysis that can
meet legal standards in a variety of applications.
• Adequate data protection, consent and subjects’ control of
personal data.

5. Science cannot act in a vacuum.
• Additional Requirements
• Predetermined Roles and Responsibilities
– Medical Legal Authorities
– Government Ministries (Justice, Human Rights, Foreign, Health)
– Law Enforcement
– Emergency Responders
– International Mechanisms
• Criminal Tribunals
• INTERPOL
• Public Involvement and Outreach
• Communication
• Trust
• Source of necessary information or genetic samples

6. Additional Requirements
• Science cannot act in a vacuum.
• Predetermined Roles and Responsibilities
– Medical Legal Authorities
– Ministries (Justice, Human Rights, Foreign)
– Law Enforcement
– Emergency Responders
– International Mechanisms
• Tribunals
• INTERPOL
• Public involvement and Outreach
• Communication
• Trust
• Source of necessary information or genetic samples
More than technical capacity for particular forensic
disciplines, these issues often pose the greatest
challenge for an effective response.

7. A Rule of Law Requirement
An Emerging Human Rights Framework
• Affected Populations are entitled to victim identification efforts:
Ending uncertainty: The right to know;
Enable closure: The right to commemorate;
Bring justice: The right to restoration and retribution;
Restore public order: The right to rights.
• Victim identification goes beyond “humanitarian” concerns and
invokes the rule of law, and increasingly formally recognized rights
of human-kind.

8. United Nations Human Rights Council
• The UNHRC has stated the International
Community must:
“…endeavor to recognize the right of victims of
gross violations of human rights, and their
families, and society as a whole to know the
truth to the fullest extent practicable.”
• UN International Convention for the
Protection of All Persons from Enforced
Disappearance: the right to truth.

9. European Convention on Human
Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms
1. Article 2, Right to life.
2. Article 3, Right not to be tortured.
3. Article 5, Right to liberty and security.
Lack of “Effective investigation” has been ruled as
a violation of Article 2 and 3.
Forensic DNA is an essential tool for meeting
this responsibility.

10. United Nations General Assembly
Resolution 61/155: Missing Persons

11. United Nations General Assembly
Resolution 61/155: Missing Persons
DNA is an essential tool for
Right to Know
Requirement for Identification
Requirement for Data Protection

12. United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 10-26:
Forensic Genetics and Human Rights
• Recognizing… that forensic genetics, when applied in an
independent manner and subject to international standards,
may effectively contribute to the identification of the remain
of victims
• The utmost respect for the principles of protection and
confidentiality of information and restricted access to such
information….

13. Need to Ensure Protection of Family Genetic Data

14. ICMP International Declaration
“Declaration On The Role Of The State In Addressing
The Issue Of Persons Missing As A Consequence Of
Armed Conflict And Human Rights Abuses”

15. International Commission on Missing Persons – ICMP
•1995 Dayton Peace Accord;
•~35,000 missing at end of
conflict.
•1996 Search for the missing
begins.
•June 1996 - ICMP was
created following the G-7
Summit in Lyon, France
•2003: Expanded Global
Mandate
• -Post conflict, other
regions
• -DVI globally

16. ICMP Mission
• To ensure the cooperation of governments and others in
addressing the issue of missing persons, including provisions
to build institutional capacity, encourage public involvement
and address the needs of justice.
• To provide technical assistance in locating, recovering and
identifying missing persons.

17. UN Safe Area Srebrenica
•Safe Area Established 1993
•July 1995, > 20,000 Refugees near UN DutchBat Compound
•July 11, 1995: Over-run by Bosnian Serb Forces
•NATO forces failed to defend.

18. July 11-13, 1995
•Column of ~10,000-15,000 men
•Attempt overland escape to Tuzla.
•Attacked en route. Many killed, but
thousands surrendered, taken prisoner.

19. Srebrenica: ~8000 Victims of Mass Killing
Separation and Execution of Men and Older Boys, Women/children
removed by bus.
Kravica Warehouse, ~1200
Branjevo Military Farm, ~1200
Kozluk, ~1000
Grbavi School, 800-1000
Petkovi Dam, ~1200
Initially buried in large
primary mass graves.

20. Primary Grave
July 5, 1995 July 17, 1995
Oct 2, 1995

21. ICMP Mortuary Facilities

22. Clothing and Personal Effects
A ‘Book of Belongings’, a joint effort
between the ICMP and ICRC, is shown
regularly to relatives of the missing,
and may provide a ‘presumptive
identification’

23. DNA Testing of “traditional methods”
ICRC Book of Missing shown to families: Clothing and personal
effects.
– 800 discrete cases from Srebrenica
Families “identified” 281 cases.
– 72 cases where same effects identified by different families.
Antemortem and postmortem comparison by experienced ICMP
anthropologists/pathologists indicated 56 reasonable
“presumptive identifications”.
– Information was “consistent” with identification.
Subsequent DNA testing were exclusions for 25 of the 56
presumptive identifications.

24. ICMP Adoption of a ‘DNA-led’ Approach
New concept for mass graves identification efforts
● DNA previously regarded as a tool to confirm
presumptive hypotheses of identity established
through traditional means
Large scale typing and ‘cold hit’ matching between
family reference profiles and victim profiles
Testing
● High statistical strength matches then checked
against all evidence in the case, to finalize the case.

25. ICMP Adoption of a ‘DNA-led’ Approach
New concept for mass graves identification efforts
● DNA previously regarded as a tool to confirm
presumptive hypotheses of identity established
through traditional means
Large scale typing and ‘cold hit’ matching between
family reference profiles and victim profiles
Testing
● High statistical strength matches then checked
against all evidence in the case, to finalize the case.

26. 7 20 44
2
26 52
516
2
484
6
522
1
542
4
612
500
1
467
776
592
501
4
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
NUMBER OF OFFICIAL IDENTIFICATIONS per year
on 31.12.2011. (total: 5661+20)
Srebrenica identifications before and after
DNA-led approach.
Total Number of DNA Identifications: 6928

27. Identification Success in
the former Yugoslavia
Family reference
STR Profiles: 91,701
Missing represented: 29,685
Bone samples profiles: 41,095
Unique DNA profiles: 21,322
Individual DNA Identifications: 17,821
~5 identifications per working day, for 13 years

28. Re-association by DNA, Single Individual
4 different secondary mass graves and in 11
different body bags.
Two of the grave sites were 50 kilometres away
for each other

29. DNA evidence shows pattern of activity.
29
• The Branjevo Farm assemblage has the most number of bodies, 1725. All of the
secondary graves are along the Cancari road, a rural area 6 to 11 kilometers from the
main road.
Branjevo
Farm
CR05
CR06
CR08
CR12
CR11 CR10
CR04
CR09
• The nine secondary graves are linked to each
other and the primary grave. Note that three
secondary graves (CR05, CR06, CR10) are not
directly linked to the primary by DNA linkages.
• Note the “chain” pattern of linkages from
secondary graves back to primary.
CR0
4CR0
5
CR0
6
CR1
0
CR08 & CR09
CR1
1
CR1
2

30. ICMP support of Governmental Structures
and the Criminal Justice System
•ICMP work admitted as evidence in
6 major cases for the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY)
● DNA Case Files
● Excavation Reports
● Expert testimony

31. ICMP support of Governmental Structures
and the Criminal Justice System
•ICMP work admitted as evidence in
6 major cases for the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY)
● DNA Case Files
● Excavation Reports
● Expert testimony
Importance of Data Protection Mechanisms
• Requirement for Provision of Evidentiary Data
• Important for Unbiased support of justice system
• But: ICMP Provision of data only upon specific
subject/family consent.

32. Archaeology and Anthropology Division
● Archaeology
● Anthropology
● Pathology
● Remote Imaging
Identification Coordination Division
● Antemortem and Missing Persons Information
● Reference Blood Sample Collection
● DNA Matching
DNA Laboratories
Database Programmers
ICMP Forensic Sciences Department
(~ 80 staff)

33. Bodies Recovered in BiH by Various Organizations

34. Investigative Phase:
Grave Discovery
• Witness Information
– Often unreliable, inexact
• Aerial Imagery
• Geographic Information Systems

35. •Photo-documentation
•Mapping
•Standard Observations
•Chain of Custody
Scene of Crime

36. Archaeological Excavation

37. Total Station Electronic Surveying

38. Physical Anthropological
Examination
•Through examination a biological profile of the
victim is established. Forensic anthropologists
examine skeletal elements for evidence of trauma,
pathology, and to assist identification through
assessment of sex, age, stature of remains.

39. AM Data Process

40. Blood Donation
•Who Can Give Blood?
•Father and Mother
•Children
•Grandparents
•Brothers/sisters
•Uncles/Aunts
•Cousins
•Wives/Husbands for Identification of Children
•The closer the relative the fewer samples are necessary

41. • ISO 17025 Accredited
DNA Profiling and Matching
ILAC Standards for forensic DNA
• Modular, High Throughput
105 Bone/tooth samples/day maximum
55 Samples/Day Steady State
24 Staff Members
Solution: throughput and cost
effectiveness
ICMP DNA Laboratory

42. ICMP DNA Laboratories Work Flow

43. Full demineralization published protocols

44. Promega PP16
16-locus Random Match
Probability ~ 1 in 1017
LCN Approach, 34 cycles
amplification
Accredited ISO17025/ILAC
Validated Interpretation
Criteria:
Drop- in
Drop-out
Additional Systems: EXS-17, PP21, Yfiler,
mtDNA
Yfiler™ PCR Amplification Kit is For Forensic or Paternity Use Only.

45. Family DNA Matching
---Custom Software
--Pairwise comparison
-Direct Matching
-Half Allele Share
-Sibling Index
--Integrated to Missing Persons
and Relatives Database
--Full Kinship Analysis for final
reporting
--DNAView
-Pedigree search algorithms,
when needed.

46. DNA match report issued when
Posterior Probability>99.95%

47. ICMP Identification Data Management System
iDMS• Archaeology
– Field Reconnaissance
– Recovery
– Mapping
• Anthropology/Pathology
– Skeletal Inventory
– Mortuary Management
– Examination
• Missing Persons and Relatives
– AM Data
– On-Line Registration
• DNA
– LIMS
– Matching and Reporting

48. ICMP Identification Data Management System
iDMS
• Archaeology
– Field Reconnaissance
– Recovery
– Mapping
• Anthropology/Pathology
– Skeletal Inventory
– Mortuary Management
– Examination
• Missing Persons and Relatives
– AM Data
– On-Line Registration
• DNA
– LIMS
– Matching and Reporting
On-Line Inquiry Tool: Public and Professional Access
Current re-design: fully web operability.

49. Iraq
Libya
Chile
Cyprus

50. A tale of two DVI events
• 2004 SE Asian Tsunami
– 6 months delayed DNA
capability
– No standing international
mechanism
– Inability to activate qualified
DNA Laboratories
– ICMP Eventually, >900 DNA
Matches
• 2008 Typhoon Frank
– INTERPOL/ICMP MOU
– Immediate deployment of DNA
resources needed
– Standing High Capacity of DNA
Laboratory
– ~450 DNA identifications

52. A new treaty-level International Organization
dedicated exclusively to issues of the missing.
• ICMP, Version 2.0
– December, 2014. Signing ceremony in Brussels.
• Internationally recognized mandate
• New ICMP Headquarters in The Hague
• Legal status: ability to operate and protect sensitive
data, immune from legal process.

53. Continuing ICMP Mission
• Missing Persons Database Resources
– Full On-line Version of ICMP fDMS data management
system
• Cooperative Agreements
– INTERPOL, UN International Organization for Migration,
ICTY, etc…
• Database inter-operability.
– Ability to bridge databases and institutions.
• Technical development intensely focused on the
Missing.
– MPS Applications
• Global Forum
– Policy, Ethics, Practice

54. Continuing ICMP Mission
• Missing Persons Database Resources
– Full On-line Version of ICMP fDMS data management
system
• Cooperative Agreements
– INTERPOL, International Organization for Migration
ICTY, etc…
• Database inter-operability.
– Ability to bridge databases and institutions.
• Technical development intensely focused on the
Missing.
– MPS Applications
• Global Forum
– Policy, Ethics, Practice

55. What do missing persons need from
MPS?
• Ability to handle very degraded samples.
• Strong capabilities of kinship analysis.
– Single, distant relatives?
• Vastly diminished costs.
– Multiplexing
– Optimization and Streamlining
– Homogeneous Assays, Robust Pipelines
• Informatics that interfaces with other necessary
data
– Matching and case management in an integrated
identification system.

56. Huff et al, Genome Research, 2011
One Million Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms—SNPs
Analytical Method for Identification of Chromosomal Blocks “Identical By Descent”

57. Haiti Earthquake
~150,000 Missing
With MPS the cost of DNA sequencing has
decreased by ~6 orders of magnitude.
Can we do something similar for the cost of
human identification testing?

58. Human Rights, by Definition,
Apply to All

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