Missing Persons Research Articles

A survey on kinship verification

In this survey, kinship verification is defined as the automatic process of verifying whether two or more persons are blood relatives (kin) by analyzing images of their faces. Kinship verification is an important research field in computer vision with many applications such as finding missing persons, family album organization, and online image search. Although substantial progress has been made in kinship verification in the past decade, there are still challenges such as intrinsic (face i.e., differences in facial appearance) and extrinsic (acquisition i.e., varying imaging conditions) problems. And there is still a demand for more diverse datasets.Therefore, this paper provides a survey on kinship verification methods and datasets. The survey starts with the definition of kinship verification and its corresponding intrinsic and extrinsic challenges. Then, an overview of kinship verification methods and datasets is given. Finally, a new multi-modal dataset (Nemo-Kinship Dataset) is proposed as a benchmark dataset addressing large inter-subject age variations consisting of 4216 videos of 248 persons from 85 families. The newly collected dataset is used to systematically test and analyze state-of-the-art methods.

Missing Person Identification using Machine Learning with Python

Abstract: With advances in computing and telecommunications technologies, digital images and video are playing key roles in the present information era. This system uses powerful python algorithm through which the detection and recognition of face is very easy and efficient. Human face is an important biometric object in image and video databases of surveillance systems. Detecting and locating human faces and facial features in an image or image sequence are important tasks in dynamic environments, such as videos, where noise conditions, illuminations, locations of subjects and pose can vary significantly from frame to frame. we want to identify the person based on face data base which we have already created in own data. After that we want to start identification of face using face recognition package. Finally, we will do comparison with data base and we will say weather that person is missing person or unknown person.

Evaluation of Color Anomaly Detection in Multispectral Images for Synthetic Aperture Sensing

In this article, we evaluate unsupervised anomaly detection methods in multispectral images obtained with a wavelength-independent synthetic aperture sensing technique called Airborne Optical Sectioning (AOS). With a focus on search and rescue missions that apply drones to locate missing or injured persons in dense forest and require real-time operation, we evaluate the runtime vs. quality of these methods. Furthermore, we show that color anomaly detection methods that normally operate in the visual range always benefit from an additional far infrared (thermal) channel. We also show that, even without additional thermal bands, the choice of color space in the visual range already has an impact on the detection results. Color spaces such as HSV and HLS have the potential to outperform the widely used RGB color space, especially when color anomaly detection is used for forest-like environments.

Legal regulation registration of human genomic information: international and domestic experience

The article analyzes the main regulatory and legal documents that regulate the issue of legal regulation of the state registration of human genomic information in Ukraine. It has been established that the functioning of the database of human genomic information in Ukraine is currently regulated by the Instruction on the Organization of the Operation of Forensic Records of the Expert Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine dated September 10, 2009 No. 390. However, the sources of the formation of records of genetic characteristics defined by this Instruction do not provide an opportunity to effectively use the tool of the database data for the identification of missing persons, etc., since it is possible to ensure the effectiveness of the method of molecular genetic research only in combination with the maintenance of an automated DNA database.
 The relevance of the adoption of the Law of Ukraine "On State Registration of Human Genomic Information" is substantiated, which defines the legal principles of processing and state registration of human genomic information in Ukraine. Its main purpose and specifics of application are clarified, and the problems in terms of legal uncertainty regarding its compliance with international standards of human rights compliance are identified. The issues related to the technical protection of the Electronic Register of Information on Human Genetic Traits, which is a functional subsystem of the unified information system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, are outlined, and suggestions for improving this area are provided. Attention is focused on the relevance of international cooperation regarding the exchange of genomic information with other countries and international organizations.
 The role of the International Committee of the Red Cross was clarified, the statistics of identification of missing persons by this organization were analyzed. Attention was drawn to the role of the International Commission on Missing Persons, which has considerable experience in this field. Analyzed: positive international experience of registering human genomic information of Great Britain, USA, Thailand, Brazil; The Prüm Treaty on providing Member States of the European Union with automatic access to genetic databases, fingerprints and information on crimes related to drug trafficking.
 It was concluded that the realities of the times necessitate the introduction and use of advanced technologies that have existed in the field of human genomic identification for more than three decades - DNA molecular genetic research and a data bank of human genetic features, which will contribute to the prompt solution of socially significant tasks.

Recording and analysing DNA from osteocytes in resin-embedded bone samples.

We report on a process to record the presence and the location of osteocyte nuclei using two nucleic staining dyes, Diamond™ Nucleic Acids Dye (DD) and DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole). Knowledge of the presence and number of osteocytes is key to any success in subsequent DNA profiling. Osteocytes are most numerous cells and thus the main source of DNA in bone samples, which can be preserved for histological analyses. Archived samples are either fixed in formalin or preserved in ethanol prior to embedding in resin. These resin-embedded samples are potentially used as ante mortem reference samples. Cases of a missing person investigation are one example where this type of preserved reference material may be of value. When resin is required for sample preservation it represents a problem for subsequent DNA profiling, if needed as a reference sample in human identification. It is essential therefore to remove the resin prior to DNA analyses as resin is a known inhibitor of DNA profiling. Current methods of resin removal are lengthy and require toxic chemicals. This report describes a simplified process to remove resin and visualise the location of nucleated osteocytes. Eight sections of bone samples at 5-µm thickness were stained with DD and DAPI. A further three samples were processed using a formalin-fixed method and three additional samples treated following an ethanol-preserved method (11 samples for both the formalin-fixed and 11 for the ethanol-preserved with eight in common). The location and number of nuclei could be recorded clearly due to the fluorescence created by the dye binding to DNA. The number of stained nuclei correlated with the mass of DNA isolated from the sections (r = 0.873, p = 1.21 × 10-10). A significant difference between the degradation indices of two groups (p = 8.505 × 10-5) showed that ethanol preservation is a preferred method to yield DNA of the quality needed for subsequent short tandem repeats (STR) profiling. Ten of the 11 samples isolated using the ethanol-preserved process recorded a complete STR profile (30/30 alleles), whereas eight of the formalin-fixed samples generated full profiles, and only one of the 11 samples amplified less than 23 alleles. Both the ethanol-preserved and formalin-fixed methods are an improvement on current methods by removing the need for strong solutes in resin removal, and the method leads to STR profiles from resin-embedded bone samples within 24h.

Counterfactual analysis of the impact of the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic on the reporting and registration of missing people in India

The primary duty of law enforcement agencies is to ensure that a victim has the necessary information and access to the relevant tools required to seek justice. In India, complex cases such as bodily offences and property crimes capture the work and efforts of many agencies involved; however, cases related to missing persons are not often accorded similar priority or seriousness. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have added further challenges to this scenario. The government-mandated lockdowns in Tamil Nadu generally exacerbated difficult socio-economic and living conditions, thereby directly or indirectly contributing to an increased load of missing person cases. This study aims to assess and identify the impact of mobility on reporting and registration of missing persons. By adopting an auto-regressive neural networks method, this study uses a counterfactual analysis of registered missing person cases during the government-mandated lockdowns in response to the global pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The registered cases are calculated based on the daily count of cases for eleven years in Tamil Nadu, India. The lockdowns identify eight different time windows to determine the impact of mobility on the registration of cases. While there has been no significant or drastic change over the pre-pandemic period, during the pandemic, especially during the restrictive phases of the pandemic, there was a sharp fall in cases compared to the counterfactual predicted (effect sizes: −0.981 and −0.74 in 2020 and 2021), signalling towards a choked mechanism of reporting. In contrast, when most mobility restrictions were removed, an increase in cases (effect sizes of +0.931 and 0.834 in 2020 and 2021) pointed to restored and enabled reporting channels. The research findings emphasise the significance of mobility as a factor in influencing the reporting and registration of missing persons and the need to ensure this continues to help families find redress.

Spatiotemporal distribution patterns of deadly geohazard events in China, 2013–2019

This study collected and compiled the deadly geohazard events that occurred in China during 2013–2019, and counted 779 deadly geohazard events, resulting in 2386 dead and missing persons (387 missings), 670 injured persons, and the number of people affected by the hazards reached 187,893, with an economic loss of about 534 million USD. We selected the number of events, the number of deaths and missing persons, the number of affected persons and economic losses as indicators, and analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of disaster events, and further discussed the characteristics of hazard types and triggering factors. The statistical units include annual scale, month scale, province/municipality and geographical region. The statistical results show that the number of deadly geohazard events showed a decreasing trend on the annual scale, and the casualties and losses caused rebounded. The high incidence of deadly geohazard events is concentrated from June to August. Deadly geohazard events are most frequent in southern and southwestern China and are most severe in terms of the number of deaths and missing persons. The same pattern applies to the analysis of provinces/municipalities. The most frequent types of geohazards are landslides and rockfalls, debris flows caused the highest number of people affected. Most of the event triggers are natural factors, and among them, the rainfall factor is the most dominant trigger. Precipitation shows a significant positive correlation with the number of deadly geohazard events on the monthly scale.

Application of a dense SNP PCR multiplex for high throughput kinship determination using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)

The need to identify large numbers of missing persons from mass disasters, armed conflicts and human rights abuses has become increasingly prevalent. The ForenSeq® Kintelligence Library Prep Kit together with NGS (sometimes called massively parallel sequencing), has been designed to interrogate 10,230 SNPs for the purpose of solving cold cases, including missing persons identification. The kit allows up to 3 samples per sequencing run in order to call sufficient SNPs for detecting relationships up to 5th degree when searching direct to consumer DNA databases, such as GEDmatch PRO™. For missing persons cases with high numbers of post-mortem (P.M.) and ante-mortem (A.M.) samples from the deceased and their family members, respectively, a higher throughput solution is required. In this report, we present the feasibility of increasing sequencing plexity for PM to 12 and AM to 32 samples using the Kintelligence kit and workflow. This generates sufficient SNP calls for kinship determination up to 3rd order. DNA was extracted from bones and dental remains, as well as artificially degraded and low input DNA to simulate P.M. samples. DNA from diverse populations was typed to simulate A.M. samples. We determined the number of called SNPs overlapping between A.M. and P.M samples from these high-plexity sequencing runs and showed the impact on two methods of estimating kinship: kinship coefficients and likelihood ratios (LR). LR and kinship coefficient decrease as fewer SNPs are called (i.e., in more challenging samples) or for more distant relationships. However, filtering on both values achieved high sensitivity and specificity out to 3rd degree. Furthermore, relationship identification out to 3rd degree was robust to loss of heterozygosity in the samples. Overall, increasing plexity can facilitate higher throughput DNA analysis of missing persons cases, without severe loss in kinship estimation.

The power few missing persons: A 10-year follow-up study of over 2,000 youth missing persons

Abstract Youths going missing continues to be a matter of great concern for the police. This group has been consistently found to comprise most police missing person reports, be more likely to go repeatedly missing, and experience victimization and vulnerability related to these incidents. This study thus sought to examine single versus repeat versus habitual/chronic missing youth cases to extract differentiated insights to initiate discussions on proactive policing efforts for reducing and preventing missing youth cases. Data employed tracked 2,126 young people reported missing for the first time in 2005, for 10 years using their police records. Over a third went missing more than once. There was evidence of the power few hypothesis, with the habitual/chronic cases constituting 17% of the cases and over 60% of the missing person reports across the study period, and clear differences emerged between single, repeat, and habitual/chronic cases in terms of their demographics, mental health concerns, and justice involvement.

FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY SUSTAINABLE GOALS

The Importance of promoting Human Rights in the Recovery and Identification of Missing and Unidentified persons was presented at 9th International Dental Ethics and Law Society (IDEALS) congress in 2012 and was first introduced in May 2013 at the annual meeting of the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) conference organized by Interpol in Lyon. Dr. Emilio Nuzzolese, participating odontologist of the Interpol Forensic Odontology working group, highlighted the need to apply the highest identification standards and Interpol guidelines to all unidentified human remains, equally in a DVI scenario as well as in a single missing and unidentified person. In 2015 these concepts also inspired the creation of an international group of odontologists from twelve Countries called ‘Forensic Odontology for Human Rights’. The group began promoting the need to protect the human rights of the dead to have a name and an identity by participating in conferences and meetings, and through publications and training at most international forensic events. The mentoring of colleagues with the goal of promoting an authentic involvement of forensic odontology in the identification process was also instigated. The continuous growth of the group, along with the need to involve forensic experts from other disciplines, led to the constitution of the Association Forensic Odontology for Human Rights (AFOHR) and the inauguration of humanitarian forensic odontology. Having become a recognized voluntary organization in the context of humanitarian forensics, in 2019 AFOHR board members discussed the steps needed to achieve the rights of having a date of birth and an identity for every deceased individual. Eight forensic odontology sustainable goals were approved: human rights of the dead; human identification action; international partnership; human forensic odontology; strong forensic odontology; human identification kit; quality age determination; dental evidence in crimes against vulnerable persons. Under the auspices of AFOHR that aim is to inspire colleagues and forensic associations to the best administration of Justice for best practices in human identification and age estimation.

Empirical validation of a family-member prioritization approach to maximize statistical power in missing person cases

In order to prioritize the exhumation of the most informative reference relatives to increase the statistical power of a reference group, a conditional simulation approach for missing person identification that combines both exclusion and inclusion power in reference families has been previously developed. The aim of this study is to empirically validate this approach by comparing its predicted theoretical prioritization model with the observed changes in statistical power in real cases of our laboratory, in which new relatives had already been added. We conclude that this approach is a reliable tool to choose the most appropriate reference relatives to complete a family group and improve the identification power of a Missing Person (MP).

Perspective on the use of investigative genetic genealogy in Brazil

Since 2018, investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) has been used as a novel technology to solve cold cases. But IGG presents several ethical issues regarding privacy and regulation. IGG has never been used in Brazil although the number of direct-to-consumer (DTC) ancestry tests has been increasing and its users use open platforms in which IGG can be applied, such as GEDMatch, being susceptible to the same ethical problems as in those countries where IGG is being applied. We conducted an online survey with 166 clients of DTC ancestry tests (DTC) and 35 Brazilian CODIS Administrators (ADM) to evaluate their knowledge about the forensic application of genetic genealogy, their opinion about it, and a possible application in Brazil. Both groups support using IGG in violent crimes and missing persons (58.5% of DTC and 34.3% of ADM) but also showed concerns about the legislation and ethical issues (78.9–55.4% DTC and 97–65% ADM). Furthermore, 20% of ADM were against the use of this technique compared to the DTC (4%), probably due to the lack of knowledge of the methodology, its scope, and limitations. These results show the need to broaden the discussion on the IGG in various sectors of society.

“How did they die?”: Bridging humanitarian and criminal-justice objectives in forensic science to advance the rights of families of the missing under international humanitarian law

AbstractThere are thousands of families of missing persons around the world who search for answers as to the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones, hoping to be reunited with them, or in the event that they are deceased, to be able to mourn and grieve their death with dignity. In practice when authorities speak with families to confirm that the missing person is deceased, two initial questions frequently arise. First, families generally want to know, “did you identify the body of my relative?” The second question, once they receive information that their loved one has been positively identified as deceased, is usually, “how did they die?” This article examines whether international humanitarian law requires providing families of the missing, who may know or believe that their relative is deceased, with an answer to this second question of “how did they die?” The article argues that under certain circumstances, it is a requirement of international humanitarian law to provide some information about the cause, manner and circumstances of death to families. It also argues that the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement can strengthen the rights of families of the missing by engaging confidentially (directly or indirectly) with judicial bodies that are charged with both identification of the missing and accountability for violations of international humanitarian law. While this is challenging, it is argued that it is often possible to do so while respecting and adhering to the fundamental principles of the Movement, and, in turn, advancing the fundamental principle of humanity.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE DEAD UNDER ISLAMIC LAW AND INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW: AN ANALYSIS

The Islamic world has been confronted with many challenges in recent history such as situations of violence, armed conflict, global pandemic and natural disasters. One of the many catastrophic consequences of such events are the findings of numerous unidentified bodies. Is the identification of dead bodies a legal obligation under both Islamic law and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) or is it merely a moral duty to help grieving family members? The purpose of this research is first, to give an overview of the Islamic law principles governing the identification of the dead. Second, to illustrate those principles with current examples of humanitarian challenges in the Islamic world. Third, to compare those Islamic law principles to IHL rules applicable in armed conflicts and demonstrate that both IHL and Islamic Law aim to end the suffering of families of missing persons. This research demonstrates that both Islamic law and IHL have rules which aim to protect the dignity and respect of dead bodies and they complement each other in contexts of armed conflicts or other situations of violence. By identifying the similarities and complementarities of both bodies of law this research paper contributes to expanding the legal framework which can be promoted and used by humanitarians to protect families of the dead and end their suffering by obtaining information on the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones. In cases of mismanagement of the dead, in Muslim contexts, resulting in the burial of unidentified bodies, humanitarians should discuss with religious authorities and raise the various principles of Islamic law described in this paper such as the prohibition of collective graves and cremation and the exceptions made in practice for the exhumation of dead bodies. International scholars should also underscore the importance of storing information on the deceased before burying them and of participating in the development of forensic science in Islamic countries.

Evacuation action during torrential rain considering situation awareness error using protection motivation theory

The torrential rains in July 2018 caused considerable river overflow, flood damage, and landslides, particularly in western Japan. At that time, 232 fatalities and missing persons were recorded, with most human damage caused by delays in evacuation. These delays occur during most torrential rain events, and can presumably be attributed to a situation awareness error in the disaster response of residents. This study analyzed the evacuation decision-making structure by adding a situation awareness error to the protection motivation theory framework. Accordingly, the evacuation actions of residents during torrential rains in Japan in 2018 were surveyed and analyzed using structural equation modeling and logistic regression. Most respondents chose not to evacuate despite showing a high intention to do so. Such respondents evacuated only in response to a trigger such as a dramatic change in their surrounding environment or the receipt of an evacuation appeal. By considering situation awareness errors in protection motivation theory, this study identified active and passive evacuation decisions to clarify the stage at which evacuation delays occurred. The findings provide guidance on the stage of situation awareness that should be promoted and the specific measures required to achieve efficient evacuation.

Forensic data management and database systems in forensic investigations for cases of missing and unidentified persons in Brazil

Forensic investigations, especially those related to missing persons and unidentified remains, produce different types of data that must be managed and understood. The data collected and produced are extensive and originate from various sources: the police, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), medical examiner offices, specialised forensic teams, family members, and others. Some examples of information include, but are not limited to, the investigative background information, excavation data of burial sites, antemortem data on missing persons, and postmortem data on the remains of unidentified individuals. These complex data must be stored in a secured place, analysed, compared, shared, and then reported to the investigative actors and the public, especially the families of missing persons, who should be kept informed of the investigation. Therefore, a data management system with the capability of performing the tasks relevant to the goals of the investigation and the identification of an individual, while respecting the deceased and their families, is critical for standardising investigations. Data management is crucial to assure the quality of investigative processes, and it must be recognised as a holistic integrated system. The aim of this article is to discuss some of the most important components of an effective forensic data management system. The discussion is enriched by examples, challenges, and lessons learned from the erratic development and launching of databases for missing and unidentified persons in Brazil. The main objective of this article is to bring attention to the urgent need for an effective and integrated system in Brazil.

Recommendations for procedures related to the evidence chain of custody in forensic anthropology in Brazil

Forensic anthropologists perform specialised analysis, mainly involving skeletonised human remains, cadavers in advanced stages of decomposition, disassociated elements from the human body, and human remains in extreme carbonisation. The main objectives of the forensic anthropology expertise are human identification and assisting in determining the cause and manner of death. Estimating the time since death is also a priority for some cases, especially ones involving missing persons. This science works on individual cases, violent deaths, missing persons, mass disasters, suspected violations of human rights, and crimes against humanity. Forensic anthropological evidence is, in general, very sensitive. Thus, it is important to detail aspects relevant to the maintenance of the chain of custody at all phases of the investigation, as well as standardise the actions of the individuals involved. This aims to preserve the evidence integrity and sameness (Sameness: free translation of the Portuguese word “mesmidade”, derived from a Spanish word that does not possess a translation to Portuguese. Sameness of evidence is understood as the guarantee that the evidence under valuation (or under analysis of its probative value) is exactly and integrally the same one which was collected, corresponding, therefore, to “the same” (and not “part of”, “derived from”), safeguarding its value. Brazil Law No. 13.964 of 14 December 2019 establishes and lists 10 phases related to the evidence chain of custody that must be followed. These newly introduced requirements resulted in the need for adaptation of the forensic, investigative, and legal actors involved in an investigation, and in the detailed description of the procedures for the different areas related to criminalistics, including forensic anthropology. The information provided in this article should be interpreted as recommendations, even though their non-compliance may weaken the investigative and forensic analysis processes in whole or in part.

“Giving the Highest Chance of a Good Outcome”: Exploring the Missing Persons Act in British Columbia and Ontario from the Policing Perspective

British Columbia and Ontario are two of the Canadian provinces and territories that have enacted a Missing Persons Act, legislation aimed at improving the police investigation of missing person cases. Understanding the Acts in these regions from the policing perspective presents an opportunity to assess their efficacy and utility. Therefore, the purposes of this study are to examine police perceptions of and experiences with the Missing Persons Act in each region. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with police officers from over 20 services across these regions, this article explores police insights into the impacts, challenges, and benefits of the Acts related to missing persons work. Additionally, police support for and perceptions of this legislation are uncovered. Results show that police view the Acts in these regions as enhancing missing persons work through standardization and strengthening abilities to obtain information and records, follow various leads, and use technologies that assist in successfully locating missing people. However, a paradox emerged: Police are reluctant to make use of this legislation. Explanations for this and the implications of these findings are discussed.

Measuring Personal Damage in a Large-Scale Disaster: A Review of the Reports Published by the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency on the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

The study's aim is to identify the challenges in estimating personal damages in the early stages of a disaster. The study reviewed personal damage data in the reports on the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami published by Japanese public agencies from 2011 to 2020, including 159 situation reports by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and 17 disaster-related indirect death reports by the Reconstruction Agency. The study compared the reported number of deaths, missing persons, and injuries with the latest statistics to evaluate how soon the disaster's real damages were estimated. The reported number of deaths significantly increased in the first 1.5 years, whereas the number of missing persons spiked in the first 30 days. It required approximately 1 year until the numbers approximated the current reference rate. The total casualties included 3739 indirect deaths. The results indicated an overestimation of missing persons, a possible underestimation of injuries, and the excess deaths due to indirect causes that complicated the estimation. The limitations of the current data collection approaches are the delay in reporting from the field and incomplete and unreliable information. A novel system is proposed, which directly collects data from all affected individuals anonymously.

A multifaceted, multijurisdictional, multiagency, and multidisciplinary approach to investigating unidentified and missing persons cases in Australia

Currently, there are approximately 750 unidentified human remains and 2500 long-term missing persons in Australia. The Australian Federal Police National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons (Program) is using a multifaceted, multijurisdictional, multiagency, and multidisciplinary approach in a dedicated effort to identify these unknown deceased persons, scientifically link them to known missing persons, and provide answers to their families. The nationally coordinated Program provides its police, forensic, and coronial stakeholders with a suite of contemporary forensic technologies, databases, and experts to forensically examine the skeletonised remains and recover post-mortem data for comparison to the available ante-mortem data for each missing person. Through a number of physical and virtual public outreach activities, families with missing relatives have been encouraged to provide vital ante-mortem forensic information, records, and samples to aid the identification process. To date, this unique Program has assisted to resolve a number of unidentified and missing persons cases from both historical and contemporary contexts, using a combination of genetic and non-genetic techniques, and local and national databases. The centralisation of Program capabilities, expertise, and resources to conduct this type of unique and challenging casework is proving to be the most effective and efficient way to generate investigative leads, identify human remains, and resolve long-term missing persons cases in Australia.