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August 1990
FOCUS ON NCIC:
IDENTIFYING THE UNIDENTIFIED
"Hunters find the torso of a white male in a
field. A close examination of the body reveals
that the victim has been shot. His head and
hands, which were severed from the body, cannot
be located. The only identifying mark is a tattoo
of a woman's name on the victim's chest."
"A major city police department receives a report
that a young female with mental problems is missing.
Several days later, in another jurisdiction, a
young female commits suicide by jumping in front
of a commuter train."
In both instances, subsequent investigations failed to
provide any leads. Neither victim had any identification, and
there were no missing person reports in either jurisdiction in
which the bodies were found that corresponded with the physical
descriptions of the decedents. This prompted law enforcement
officers to enter all information available on both victims into
the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
THE NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER
Since 1983, NCIC has provided computerized assistance in
matching unidentified persons and bodies with missing persons.
The key to successful use of the system is the prompt entry of
records into NCIC's Unidentified Person File and its Missing
Person File.
Each night, using the NCIC computer, FBI personnel conduct a
cross search of descriptive information in the Missing Person
File with the physical descriptors, dental characteristics, and
personal accessories of unidentified deceased individuals or
unidentified living persons, such as amnesiacs. This cross
search provides a list of likely matches between records in the
Missing Person File and those in the Unidentified Person File.
In each of the opening situations described, NCIC matched
the unidentified bodies with persons who had been reported
missing because user agencies entered all available information
into the system. Yet, while these files are a valuable asset to
the law enforcement community, many officers are unaware of the
availability of the files and are unsure when to enter
unidentified person or missing person records into NCIC.
Unidentified Person File
The Unidentified Person File provides substantial latitude
for entering records. Information should be entered into NCIC on
any unidentified deceased person or on body parts when a body has
been dismembered. In addition, information can be entered on
living persons of any age who are unable to ascertain their
identities, for example, an amnesia victim or an infant.
Missing Person File
The Missing Person File also provides a number of categories
for entry. Law enforcement officers generally think of this file
in terms of missing juveniles. However, there are additional
categories that allow a police department to enter a person of
any age who is missing and under proven physical or mental
disability, or who is senile. The file also allows officers to
enter information on persons of any age who are missing under
circumstances indicating that their physical safety may be in
danger or where their disappearance may not have been voluntary.
Also, either file can be used in case of a catastrophe.
Specific entry criteria allow law enforcement to enter a record
concerning a person of any age who is missing after a catastrophe
and to enter information concerning the physical description of
any unidentified catastrophe victims.
Entering Information
Every law enforcement agency in the United States can enter
records in both the Missing Person and the Unidentified Person
Files. However, the information entered must be complete and
accurate.
Most inquiries of the Missing Person File involve living
persons, and consequently, ask for standard information, such as
name, date of birth, and Social Security Number. Unidentified
persons, bodies, and body parts require more complex
information. As a result, both files allow for entry of such
information as blood type, corrective vision prescriptions,
scars, marks and tattoos, and dental characteristics.
Descriptive information on jewelry and clothing can also play a
vital part in the identification process.
Cross Searches
The automatic cross search process uses artificial
intelligence to make comparisons between the Missing Person and
Unidentified Person Files. Every factor entered into the record
is considered when seeking a match between the two files.
The computer initially considers such obvious factors as sex
and race to limit the number of possible candidates for a match.
As the computer comparison progresses, the computer considers and
weighs each area, establishing a score to select the most likely
records for review by investigators.
For example, in the first scenario detailed, the victim's
head and hands had been severed to hinder identification. When
the agency entered the missing person information, it included
the unusual tattoo with the woman's name in the record. Because
the tattoo had been entered, the computer established a high
probability of a match. Without this information, the match
would not have been made.
Each unidentified person case is unique. And while the
single most effective method of identification through a cross
search between both files is the use of dental characteristics,
this information is frequently unavailable. Therefore, police
should enter as much information as can be obtained. Effective
computer matches have been made using combinations of information
that, taken individually, are not unique. However, when
combined, the information creates a unique profile that leads to
an identification.
Newly obtained information should also be added to either
file. Each time that a missing person or unidentified person
record is modified with additional information, a fresh cross
search is made. Entering additional information is particularly
important in the Missing Person File, since some information may
not be available at the time the report is taken. This could
include blood type, dental information, and corrective vision
prescriptions.
Once the cross search comparison is completed, the agencies
that entered the missing person record and the unidentified
person record each receive a complete listing of match
possibilities. The number of possible matches varies according
to the amount of information placed in each file. More complete
information provides more opportunities for high quality matches
and subsequent positive identifications.
CONCLUSION
Through the FBI's Missing Person File and Unidentified
Person File, police have help to identify the unidentified.
Every State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the
Virgin Islands have the capability to access each file. In
addition, the manager of each State's criminal justice
information system can answer any questions concerning these
files. Or, users can obtain assistance from NCIC User Services
at 202-FBI-NCIC.