Behind the Scenes at NamUs: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System

By Todd Matthews and Joshua Savage

In 2015, nearly every major television network had a lineup of programs that focused on forensic investigations. Through their programming, television networks have given the public a never-before-seen look into the world of forensics—a look that, unfortunately, is not entirely accurate. Many of these programs are limited to a 30 or 60 minute time slot, with many of those minutes being devoted to commercial breaks, resulting in a program that has to solve a crime or a mystery in an extremely short time period. In so doing, the networks have inadvertently given the public an inaccurate accounting of the actual processes involved. The paragraphs that follow will give readers and writers an accurate account of the various resources that are available to law enforcement and the public through NamUs, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

Since its inception in 2007, NamUs has made great strides towards combatting our nation’s Silent Mass Disaster. Beginning as a centralized repository for information regarding missing and unidentified persons, NamUs has expanded into a world-class organization that has become the gold standard for countries around the world seeking to replicate its successes. It is the go-to tool for authorities nationwide, offering its services free of charge, thanks to a generous grant from the National Institute of Justice.

Entering Into the System

Once a Missing Persons (MP) case is entered into the NamUs MP Database, the case is assigned an MP number located in the top left near the subject’s name and photograph (if one is available). The investigating agency will receive a default set of automated possible matches based on a standard search criteria. The default setting is a general system search based on geography, chronology, and physical characteristics. Once entered into the system, the search can be fine-tuned to be more specific based upon available information and biometrics. The more information that is available, the more accurate the search will be.

Forensic Odontology

The NamUs subject matter experts will then work with investigators in their process of elimination. NamUs currently has two Forensic Odontologists on staff who can analyze and enter dental coding information into the NamUs MP and Unidentified Persons (UP) Systems, allowing for comparisons and exclusions based on available dental records. Recently, they have made great strides in this area by building a working relationship with the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Through their efforts, they have opened the door to quick and easy access to military dental records for comparison to current unidentified persons cases.