How a Texas-based lab is helping fight a ‘silent mass disaster’ in Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE ) — Earlier this week, remains found in Knox County in 2022 were identified through forensic genetic genealogy, but it’s just one example of how a laboratory based in Texas is helping to fight what has become called a “ silent mass disaster ” here in Tennessee.

In March, DNA technology helped scientists at Othram, Inc., a laboratory well-known as a leader in forensic genetic genealogy, identified the remains as 34-year-old Tony Brown Jr. That news was shared publicly on Tuesday.

According to Othram, Brown is the 13th individual in Tennessee that its technology has been able to help identify publicly. The company’s website also features the names of approximately 300 individuals who have been identified by Othram’s staff.

But Brown was just one person among what the National Institute of Justice refers to as the nation’s “silent mass disaster.” The term refers to the thousands of missing persons and unidentified remains cases, nationwide. Currently, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center has more than a dozen cases involving unidentified remains .

“The Namus database and Namus is the government’s database that catalogs missing and unidentified individuals. So the Namus database has just around 15,000 unidentified individuals and we know that there are more folks out there who are unidentified, whose case details have not been entered into Namus. So we work with Namus and their contract organization, RTI, that administers this database and we feel that it’s very important to our mission to help bring answers to these individuals who die without a name,” said Othram Chief of Staff Colby Lasyone.

How do they do it?

Lasyone explained the process Othram uses centers around genealogical databases. DNA profiles developed by Othram are uploaded into a database, such as FamilyTreeDNA , where they are able to search for family members based on users who opt to allow law enforcement to use their matches or ancestry information to further investigations. Those who may have opted out previously can also choose to share their DNA profile by uploading their DNA profile to a website like FamilyTreeDNA, DNA Solves , or GED Match Pro.

To get to that point, however, the laboratory first has to develop the DNA profile. Laysone explained that this starts with the details for a case being entered into Othram’s portal to help the team understand the circumstances of the case. In Brown’s case, Laysone said DNA was extracted from skeletal remains.

“We actually have a bone DNA extraction facility that allows us to harvest or extract DNA from skeletal remains. That DNA is then quantified. We go through a QC analysis. We call this [a] suitability analysis. This allows us to understand the concentration, the quality and any other factors that could influence the development of a DNA profile,” Laysone explained.

Then, with the characteristics of that DNA profile, the team compares it with the thousands of DNA profiles that Othram has previously helped to build to understand the likelihood of building a usable DNA profile for forensic genetic genealogy.

“In this particular case, once the DNA was extracted, the suitability analysis was successful. We went on to build the DNA profile. So that DNA profile was built through forensic grade genome sequencing, which is our process that results in these ultra sensitive DNA profiles. And then that was uploaded into the database for matches.”

Brown’s case was different

In many cases, when unidentified remains are mentioned, law enforcement is also investigating the potential for foul play. In Brown’s case. Knoxville Police initially said their investigation had determined no foul play had been involved in his death, but at the time his remains could not be identified.

“Our perspective is that we want to help remove uncertainty in any investigation. And so in this particular case, the individual was unidentified and it’s important to provide names for these people, their family members, their investigators. There’s so many lives that are touched by an individual passing away without their identity attached to them” Lasyone said.

For other cases, however, finding the person’s identity may be exactly what is needed to take the next step in an investigation.

“In many situations you don’t know the the cause of death could be undetermined or unsure if you will, until the person is identified, so the victimology is important in a homicide case. And if you don’t know who the victim is, then it’s it’s very difficult to to investigate, you know, all of the important factors that end up leading to the person responsible.” Lasyone said.

He added that while there are more than 300 cases listed on Othram’s website that they have helped bring some answers to, there are still hundreds more that have not reached the point to be announced publicly yet.

To learn more about Othram and the cases they are investigating, visit www.othram.com

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