DNA Project Offers Hope for Families of Belize’s Missing

For some families, not knowing what happened to a missing loved one can be its own kind of grief. Now, one Belizean family has finally received answers, and others may soon get the same chance at closure. The National Forensic Science Service is working to identify about twenty sets of human remains found across the country, some dating as far back as 1998. Through DNA testing, old case files, and public outreach, forensic experts are trying to match those remains with relatives who have spent years, and in some cases decades, waiting for answers. The effort has already helped reunite one family with the remains of a missing loved one. Now, the NFSS is asking Belizeans with missing relatives to come forward with any information that could help restore names to the unidentified and bring long-awaited closure to grieving families.

 

Gian Cho, Executive Director, National Forensic Science Service

“For this project, we’re focusing on the skeletal remains. Because a set of human remains or skeletal remains haven’t been recovered yet all you have is a missing person report, it makes it a lot harder. But what we have is actually, what we call missing and unidentified human remains. That is what we’re focusing on to identify and get these persons that were missing at some point or that, that were reported missing at some point reunited with their next of kin, whether it’s biological relatives or their friends or families so that they can be ultimately laid to rest. Since we started the project, recently we were able to hand over one set of skeletal remains to the next of kin through our representative. In the next month or, or two we’re expecting DNA results to come back for about three additional cases that we have already over the past few months sent abroad for testing. So if those three come back as positive identifications, we’ll also be doing the reunification or the handing over of those remains to their next of kin or their, or their loved ones. Because that, that’s the ultimate goal, right? These are persons, their right to be recognized as a missing person, their right to be treated with dignity, and the right of their, their family members to be able to be reunited with their loved ones so that they can be laid to rest is, is the ultimate priority for us. “

 

Forensic experts need the public’s help to put names to unidentified remains. They are asking families to share last-known locations, clothing details, identifying marks, medical history, and contact information for possible DNA testing.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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