After a disaster, bone and dental remains often represent the best resource for victim identification as DNA is preserved better in the calcified matrix. Fast disaster victim identification (DVI) has high priority to quickly provide accurate answers to relatives, but DNA-profiling from bones is a time-consuming process. Generally, the best profiling results are obtained using demineralization protocols that aim to fully dissolve the bone matrix to release the DNA. These protocols often take 12 h or more. Here, we describe the development of a rapid, semi-automated DNA extraction method based on partial demineralization. DNA is extracted from finely ground bone powder within the hour. Manual handling is minimal and the extraction process is automated as soon as the samples are loaded on a Promega Maxwell FSC instrument. We assessed how crucial the various steps in the protocol are: very fine granulation and full separation of bone powder remnants and DNA-containing supernatant were identified as most important. This full separation was achieved through the use of Hamilton AutoLys tubes prior to loading on the Maxwell FSC instrument. Even though the protocol does not fully dissolve the bone matrix and therefore does not extract all DNA present in a bone specimen, good results were obtained with bone samples of up to 44 burial years.