YAKIMA — The Legislature has approved $500,000 to fund genetic genealogy and DNA testing for the backlog of unidentified remains in Washington.
A total of 163 unidentified remains await further testing in Washington, according to a news release from the state Attorney General’s Office.
The National and Missing Unidentified Persons System, a publicly accessible database commonly known as NamUs, has 160 entries for unidentified remains in Washington, including the remains of two women and one man found in Yakima County, remains of a man found in Kittitas County and remains of a man discovered in Klickitat County.
Forensic genetic genealogy helps law enforcement solve cold cases by combining DNA testing with genealogical research, using publicly available ancestry data, authorities said.
The Attorney General’s Office and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force published an interim report in December with recommendations. They included urging the Legislature to dedicate funding to clear the backlog of unidentified remains.
That recommendation stems from the experience of task force member Patricia Whitefoot, who waited 14 years for the partial remains of her sister, Daisy Mae Heath, to be tested and identified. Much of that delay was due to a lack of funding.
Cost is the main barrier for law enforcement agencies wanting to use DNA and forensic genetic genealogy testing to identify remains. DNA testing of individual remains costs approximately $2,500, according to the news release, and forensic genetic genealogy costs around $8,000, though costs can vary.
To identify the remains as Heath, the Attorney General’s Office worked with the Yakima County coroner to provide the required funding.
Whitefoot said she’s pleased the funding is now available. Her sister was missing for more than 30 years.
“Because of our sister, I found myself motivated and compelled to promote needed resolution about the remains with the task force. Our family wondered about the status of our sister for far too long,” she said in a statement.
The 2024 budget provides the funding to the Washington State Patrol, which will assist local jurisdictions to test all unidentified remains, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Funds will be available for initial DNA testing. If DNA testing fails to provide an identification, funding will pay for forensic genetic genealogy.
The state crime lab conducts DNA testing for local law enforcement. The attorney general’s sexual assault kit initiative provides grants for that purpose, as well as forensic genetic genealogy testing at private labs. These grants have helped solve multiple cases.
DNA testing of some unidentified remains is also available for free through the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), but NamUs has experienced significant delays in recent years. It can take up to 18 months for agencies to receive results, and in some cases remains are ineligible for the federal program.
DNA testing of individual remains and forensic genetic genealogy are proven strategies to identify missing Indigenous people, bring a measure of closure and help solve more cold cases, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in the news release.
“Families should never have to endure unnecessary delays when seeking answers about their missing loved ones,” he said.
