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Democrats have shut down the government. Department of Justice websites are not currently regularly updated. Please refer to the Department of Justice’s contingency plan for more information.

Missing persons

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System

Overview

What is NamUs?

Resolving missing and unidentified persons cases is especially complex. Information-sharing across agencies and jurisdictions can be fragmented, paired with limited investigative resources and a high volume of cases. In many instances, significant time has passed since the person went missing. Still, we have a societal responsibility to ensure dignified and lawful outcomes. Each resolution can also uncover links to multiple crimes—and...

NamUs and Tribal Communities

September 2024

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is a national centralized repository and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the United States. NamUs recognizes the need for additional support for tribal communities and has dedicated resources to address missing and unidentified Indigenous persons cases.

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Overview of NamUs - the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System

September 2024
Series
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is a national centralized repository and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the United States. NamUs helps investigators match long-term missing persons with unidentified remains to resolve cases and bring resolution to families.

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Overview of Forensic Anthropology

Forensic anthropologists examine skeletal human remains to assess age at death, sex, stature, and ancestry; identify injuries; and estimate the time since death to provide investigators with information that can assist in identifying a decedent.

Forensic odontologists examine the development, anatomy, and any restorative dental corrections of the teeth, such as fillings or extractions, to make a comparative identification of a person.

Bones and teeth are...

Advancing Justice for the Missing and Unidentified Through Research - 2024 NIJ Research Conference

September 2024

Forensic science research is developing essential knowledge to fill in the holes in death investigations, creating new ways to identify challenging skeletal remains. These methods inform cause of death, time of death, and familial relationships to guide investigations, identify suspects, support prosecutions, and bring justice to families.

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Webinar Transcript: FY 2024 NIJ Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Deadline notice

The deadline to submit an application under the solicitation discussed below has passed. 

NIJ held a webinar on February 14, 2024, gave an overview of NIJ’s Graduate Research Fellowship opportunity, which invites applications for doctoral dissertation research that is relevant to preventing and controlling crime, advancing knowledge of victimization and effective victim services, or ensuring the fair and impartial administration...

NIJ Awards $16M to Support Forensic Science Research

On September 26, 2023, NIJ announced $16 million in new funding to support 33 projects under the FY23 Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes solicitation. Through this program, NIJ continues to advance the speed, accuracy, and reliability of forensic analysis, which ultimately bolsters the administration of justice.

Funding Highlights for Fiscal Year 2023

Since 2009, NIJ has invested nearly $300 million...

Webinar: NIJ Research Assistantship Program Informational Webinar

This recorded webinar, originally held September 28, 2023, provides information on NIJ’s Research Assistantship Program, which offers highly qualified doctoral students the opportunity to bring their expertise to NIJ to work across offices and program areas to obtain a practical and applied research experience. The program is a research focused professional development opportunity for doctoral students from all academic disciplines. NIJ...