DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston and DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office Director Pat Bailey have announced a Missing Persons Event & DNA Drive scheduled for Saturday, May 11, 2024. The event, to be held at the DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Atlanta, aims to provide support and resources to families and friends of missing persons.
According to DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston, families and friends of missing individuals are encouraged to attend the event to share information about their loved ones and potentially assist with identification efforts. She stated, "Those who believe a loved one may be missing and would like to file a missing person's report at the event are asked to bring photos, police reports, and medical documentation if possible."
The event will also include an opportunity for families to donate DNA samples for uploading to law enforcement and genealogy databases. Director Pat Bailey emphasized the importance of bringing family members from different branches for a comprehensive CODIS search, saying, "For families wishing to submit DNA samples, if possible, please bring two family members from two different branches of your family tree for the most robust search."
The Missing Persons Event & DNA Drive is part of the ongoing efforts of the DeKalb County Cold Case Task Force, which aims to identify the remains of more than 20 individuals in the county. The task force, comprising various law enforcement agencies, has been actively working on cataloging, reporting, testing, and identifying unidentified remains with the support of a grant awarded to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.
The event webpage provides information and sketches of several unidentified individuals, while the Medical Examiner’s Office will have case details available at the event. Additionally, resources from organizations such as NamUs, Othram, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children will be present to support the event.
Individuals with information on cold cases in DeKalb County are encouraged to reach out to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, with the option to remain anonymous when providing information. The event is free and open to the public, with registration encouraged for those planning to attend.