THE FBI’sDNA& DATABASINGINITIATIVESNuclear DNA AnalysisMitochondrial DNA AnalysisCODIS

U.S. Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation

DN

ATHE FBI’sDNA& DATABASINGINITIATIVES

Fighting Violent Crime

Nuclear DNA AnalysisMitochondrial DNA AnalysisCODIS

The FBI Laboratory is one of the largest and mostcomprehensive forensic laboratories in the world!and is the only full"service Federal forensic laboratory#The FBI Laboratory examines evidence free"of"chargefor Federal! state! and local law enforcementagencies and provides expert witness testimonyregarding the results of forensic examinations#Several sections! organized into specialized units!provide assistance with the collection! preservation!and analysis of evidence from crime sceneinvestigations# In support of the overall missionof the Laboratory! the DNA Analysis Unit I! DNAAnalysis Unit II! and the Forensic Science SystemsUnit have a DNA and Databasing Initiative#

The DNA Analysis Unit IDNA Analysis Unit I provides serological andnuclear DNA testing services to all Federal agencies!United States Attorneys! military tribunals! dulyconstituted state! county! and municipal lawenforcement agencies in the United States! orTerritories of the United States! in conjunctionwith criminal investigative matters and providesexpert witness testimony in criminal judicialproceedings on both a national and internationallevel# The DNA Analysis Unit IIDNA Analysis Unit II is responsible forthree major programs: mitochondrial DNA case"work! missing persons! and the Federal ConvictedOffender Program# The COmbined DNA IndexCOmbined DNA IndexSystemSystem (CODIS) blends forensic science and computertechnology into an effective tool for solvingviolent crimes# CODIS enables Federal! state! andlocal crime laboratories to exchange and compareDNA profiles electronically! thereby linking crimesto each other and to convicted offenders#

THE FBITHE FBI DNADNAand

The DNA Analysis Unit I (DNAUI) examinesevidence from crime scenes to determine ifbiological material! such as blood and semen! ispresent# If present! the material is subjected toDNA testing# In addition to these common stains!DNA profiles can be obtained from a variety ofother samples as well# For example! cigarettebutts! postage stamps! hat bands! shirt collars!and other items that have been in close contactwith an individual can often yield a genetic profile#

Traditionally! DNA was analyzed using RFLP(restriction fragment length polymorphism)technology# This form of DNA typing used largefragments of DNA that were separated by size#Although highly informative! many forensicsamples were too small or degraded to be analyzed#

NUCLEAR DNANUCLEAR DNA

The advent of PCR (polymerase chain reaction)allowed for the analysis of small or degradedsamples by making copies of the original sample#Currently! the DNAUI and most of the forensiccommunity use the PCR process to analyze regionsof DNA called STRs (short tandem repeats)# Thistyping procedure has the ability to analyze smalldegraded samples and provide a high level ofinformation# Often! the source of an evidencesample can be determined#

The DNA Analysis Unit II examines biologicalitems of evidence from crime scenes to determinethe mitochondrial DNA sequence from hair!bone! teeth! blood! or other tissues# Typically!these items contain low concentrations ofdegraded DNA! making them unsuitable fornuclear DNA examinations# The high sensitivity

MITOCHONDRIAL DNAMITOCHONDRIAL DNA

July $%%%July $%%%: The FBI Laboratory’s DNA Analysis Unit Ithrough its Unknown Subject Sexual Assault

The DNAUI’s CODIS program captures relevantprofiles from current cases and gathers probativedata from old cases to be uploaded into thenational database for comparisons with otherparticipating CODIS laboratories# Additionally!the DNAUI is maintaining RFLP capabilities forsamples that need to be compared to old casesthat were analyzed with the RFLP method# Thiscomprehensive approach to CODIS entries providesthe database with quality information that canbe used to assist many criminal investigations#

Program with the Washington! D#C# PoliceDepartment received ten sexual assault casesthat the National DNA Index System matchedto three sexual assaults in Jacksonville! FL# TheJacksonville cases occurred in March! April andSeptember of $%%&# CODIS had previously linkedthe Jacksonville cases to one another in May$%%%# DNA evidence was crucial in these threecases because none of the victims were able todescribe the offender and no other physicalevidence was left at the crime scenes# Five ofthe ten Washington! D#C# cases had already beenlinked together using CODIS before the nationalhit with Florida# The other D#C# cases wereidentified at later dates# In early July $%%%! LeonDundas! who is now deceased! was identifiedthrough DNA analysis as the perpetrator of thethirteen assaults#

DNAUIANDCODIS

SUCCESSSTORY

GeneralizedHuman Cell

NUCLEAR DNAMITOCHONDRIAL DNA

Nuclear DNA is foundin the nucleus of the cell#

It is inherited from both themother and the father#

Mitochondrial DNA is foundin the cell’s mitochondrion#

It is inherited onlyfrom the mother#

of the mitochondrial DNA analysis allows theFBI Laboratory to obtain information from olditems of evidence associated with cold cases andsmall pieces of evidence containing littlebiological material# Additionally! the maternalinheritance of mitochondrial DNA allowsscientists to compare the mitochondrial DNAprofile of a set of remains to that of referencesamples from individuals such as the mother!brother(s)! sister(s)! or any other maternallyrelated individuals of a missing person# Thesesamples should have the same mitochondrialDNA profiles because all maternal relativesinherit the same mitochondrial DNA# Becausemitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited andmultiple individuals can have the same mito"chondrial DNA type! positive identifications arenot possible using mitochondrial DNA analysis#However! mitochondrial DNA is an excellenttechnique to use for obtaining valuableinformation in cases where nuclear DNA analysisis not feasible#

The National Missing Persons DNA DatabaseProgram was initially outlined in $%%' and wasfunded by Congress in $%%%# This program willfacilitate the collection and mitochondrial DNAtyping of reference samples from maternal relativesof missing persons which will be placed in adatabase managed by CODIS# Additionally! thisprogram will determine the mitochondrial DNAtypes of skeletal remains in an attempt to associatethose remains to missing persons# Research iscurrently underway to validate state of the artprocedures for managing and typing the largenumber of samples expected for this program#Case acceptance should begin in early ())$#

The Federal Convicted Offender (FCO) Programwill use nuclear DNA profiling techniques totype known samples from convicted felons in theFederal system and enter these profiles into theCODIS system! much like the state and localoffender sample data already being entered byother CODIS laboratories# These profiles will beavailable for searches against any forensicdatabase sample in the CODIS system# Fundingfor this program is expected by the beginningof the year ())$#

NATIONALMISSINGPERSONSDNADATABASEPROGRAM

FEDERALCONVICTEDOFFENDERPROGRAM

The FBI Laboratory’s COCOmbined DDNA IIndex SSystem(CODIS) began as a pilot project in $%%) serving$* state and local laboratories# TheDNA Identification Actof $%%* (Public Law$)+ +(() formalizedthe FBI’s authorityto establish anational DNA indexfor law enforcementpurposes whichbecame operationalin $%%&#

CODISCODIS

May $%%&May $%%&: A set of remains was discovered inNew Hampshire by a pair of joggers on an oldlogging road# Personal effects were found nearthe body! including a credit card from a (% year"old woman who had disappeared in July $%'%!but the medical examiner was unable to positivelyidentify the woman based on the evidencerecovered# The remains were sent to the FBILaboratory's DNA Unit II for mitochondrial DNAanalysis in October $%%%# The mitochondrialDNA sequence for the unidentified remains wascompared to the mitochondrial DNA sequencefor a blood sample from a maternal relative ofthe missing woman# These two mitochondrialDNA types were found to be the same and weresearched in the mitochondrial DNA populationdatabase# The sequence was not seen in any ofthe *!$*( samples in the database! which providedinformation as to the significance of the mito"chondrial DNA results# Mitochondrial DNA waspivotal in the investigation to help identify theremains from this cold case#

CODIS is anautomatedDNA informationprocessing and telecommunica"tions system that supports theNational DNA Index System (NDIS)! State DNAIndex System (SDIS)! and Local DNA Index System(LDIS)# NDIS is the highest level in the CODIShierarchy! and enables the laboratories participatingin the CODIS Program to exchange and compareDNA profiles on a national level# All DNA profilesoriginate at LDIS! then flow to SDIS and NDIS#SDIS allows laboratories within states to exchangeDNA profiles# The tiered approach allows state andlocal agencies to operate their databases accordingto their specific legislative or legal requirements#

SUCCESSSTORY

CODIS generates investigative leads in crimeswhere biological evidence is recovered from thecrime scene using two indexes: the Forensic and

Offender Indexes#

The Forensic IndexForensic Index containsDNA profiles from crimescene evidence#

The Offender IndexOffender Index containsDNA profiles of individualsconvicted of sex offenses(and other violent crimes)with many states nowexpanding legislation toinclude other felonies#

Matches made among profiles in the ForensicIndex can link crime scenes together; possiblyidentifying serial offenders# Based on a match!police in multiple jurisdictions can coordinatetheir respective investigations! and share the

DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE

The FBI provides CODIS software! together withinstallation! training! and user support! free ofcharge to any state and local law enforcementlabs performing DNA analysis# Today! CODIS isinstalled in more than $)) laboratories# NDISalready contains more than +,)!))) profiles from+) states! the US Army and the FBI# In addition!the complete coverage of State DNA databaselaws occurred in $%%& with all -) states havingenacted legislation# This legislation requirespersons convicted of felony sex offenses (andother crimes! depending on each state’s statute)to provide biological samples for DNA analysis#These samples are analyzed and entered into theCODIS database# The FBI hopes that eventually!all -) states will include all felony offenses#

NDIS

SDIS

LDISTallahassee

LDISOrlando

LDISTampa

SDISSDIS

CODIS ARCHITECTURE

INDEXES

leads they developed independently# Matchesmade between the Forensic and Offender Indexesprovide investigators with the identity of theperpetrator(s)# After CODIS identifies a potentialmatch! qualified DNA analysts in the laboratoriesresponsible for the matching profiles contacteach other to validate or refute the match#

In addition to assisting forensic investigations!the DNA Analysis Unit I! DNA Analysis Unit IIand CODIS program! along with the FBI Laboratory’sResearch and Training Units! provide specializedtraining in DNA testing methods to forensicscientists from state! municipal! and internationalcrime laboratories# The staff of the FBI Laboratoryoften provides instruction to the legal and lawenforcement communities (attorneys! judges!police officers! and crime lab personnel) on thefundamentals! improvements! and current researchin the field of DNA and databasing# Further!the FBI sponsors and participates in national andinternational symposia and seminars devoted totopics surrounding DNA testing and databasing#

There has been a sharp increase in the demandfor CODIS services due to two factors – ($) advancesin the technologies supporting human genomeresearch and (() increased awareness of the crimereduction potential of forensic DNA by executiveand legislative bodies at the State! Local! andNational levels! as well as by the general public#In fact! many law enforcement officials considerforensic DNA analysis the most significant advancein forensic science since fingerprints# As a result!states are rapidly expanding the scope and sizeof their CODIS databases#

Over the past five years about one"half of thestates have expanded the scope of their originalDNA database legislation (e#g#! six states areincluding all felons in their database! in the pastyear about five states have expanded the scopeof their legislation! and one state now covers allarrested persons)# There is currently a backlog ofover -))!))) convicted offender samples to beanalyzed simply because a majority of states’analyses efforts are unable to keep pace withthe collection of these samples# Plus! many labsare doing retests using the new STR technology#The FBI Laboratory is committed to building aninfrastructure throughout the U#S# to support theCODIS program and will continue to work withstate and local forensic laboratories to achievethe full potential of this investigative tool#

TRAININGOPPORTUNITIES

THEFUTURE

NEVADA;May ()))May ())): The Reno! Nevada Police Departmentmade an arrest on a (+ year"old kidnaping/murderof a ' year"old girl on Wednesday! May +$! ()))!based upon the first database hit in the NevadaState DNA database# The arrest was the culminationof extensive cooperation between local lawenforcement and the FBI# On September +! $%,,!' year"old Lisa Marie Bonham was reportedmissing from Idlewild Park! Reno! where she wasvisiting with family members# The next day herclothing was discovered in a brown paper bagin a dumpster in Verdi! Nevada! a few miles fromReno# The clothing was submitted to the FBILaboratory for examination and semen stainswith Type A Secretor status were identified onportions of the clothing# On November $+! $%,,!part of the victim’s remains were recovered inToiyabe National Forest! three miles from theNevada border in Sierra County! California#On May (-! ()))! the Washoe County Sheriff’sCrime Laboratory! the location of the NevadaState DNA Database (which utilizes CODISsoftware)! matched the identified DNA from thevictim’s clothing with the known DNA of thesubject Stephen Robert Smith#FLORIDA & IOWA;February ()))February ())): In $%%-! an unidentified woman'sbody was found on an off"ramp along aninterstate in Des Moines! IA# After identifyingthe victim! police began looking at truck driversas suspects! due to the location of the body# TheIowa Department of Public Safety sent biologicalevidence left at the crime scene to the FBILaboratory for DNA analysis# The FBI Labanalyzed the evidence! and developed a DNAprofile of the perpetrator# The profile wasuploaded to CODIS! where NDIS matched it tothe Florida offender# At the time of the hit! theoffender was incarcerated in a Florida prison fora sexual assault conviction in early $%%%# Afteridentifying the offender! police discovered thathe possessed a commercial trucking license#

SUCCESSSTORIES

Created October ()))

For more information! please contact theFederal Bureau of Investigation

Laboratory DivisionDNA Analysis Unit I (Nuclear)

DNA Analysis Unit II (Mitochondrial)Forensic Science Systems Unit (CODIS)

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DNA STATISTICSDNA STATISTICS

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