The Role of the Anthropologist in the Application of NamUs

Abstract

The National Missing and Unidentified Person System (NamUs) provides a web-based platform where forensic scientists, law enforcement investigators, and the public can share information related to missing person and unidentified decedent cases across the United States. Through this secure online database, forensic anthropologists, along with medical examiners, coroners, law enforcement officers, family members of missing persons, and concerned citizens, can access varying levels of information on a common platform to assist in the resolution of these cases. Conventional wisdom and experience allows that an individual who is known within the community and has been dead a very short time is more likely to be identified than someone who is badly decomposed and/or skeletal. For others, even when there has been an extended postmortem interval, circumstances, associated evidence, and location of the remains are just some of the elements that direct the investigation and help establish the identity of the decedent. When the remains are degraded by factors such as extended postmortem interval, mechanical disruption, scattering, or burning, however, the identification becomes much more difficult. In the first week of May 2016, there were 10 767 open cases of unidentified remains in NamUs. Of these, 7257 were classified as unrecognizable by a variety of aforementioned factors. By the very nature of their work, anthropologists can develop key pieces of information from decomposed and/or skeletal elements and NamUs can provide the technology to consolidate and share their findings as well as those of all subject matter experts involved with the investigation.