A new search tool for familial searches in the Israel Criminal DNA database

• Published in: Forensic science international Vol. 346; p. 111639
• Main Authors: Ram, Tanya, Starinsky-Elbaz, Sigal, Avlas, Orna, Issan, Yossi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01-05-2023; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Automation; Candidates; CODIS; Crime; Crime scenes; Criminal investigations; Criminals; Databases, Nucleic Acid; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA Fingerprinting; Familial search; Families & family life; Forensic Genetics; Forensic science; Forensic sciences; Human remains; Humans; Israel; Laboratories; Likelihood ratio; Microsatellite Repeats; Missing persons; Mitochondria; Pedigree; Rape; Searching; Sequences; Test pedigree tree; Israel; Test pedigree tree; Familial search; CODIS
• ISSN: 0379-0738; 1872-6283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111639

The Israel DNA database has recently started to conduct familial searches (FS). We adopted the CODIS pedigree strategy for FS, which is used in the Unidentified Human Remains (UHR) database and implemented it into the criminal forensic database. This strategy is based on Kinship analysis performed in pedigrees containing DNA profiles from the crime scene designated “unknown,” that are then searched against the entire suspects database. A list of candidates is produced and ranked by Joint Pedigree Likelihood Ratio (JPLR). Traditional Y-STR characterizing and mitochondrial sequencing can be performed in order to further minimize the list. Our novel strategy consists of an additional pedigree analysis aimed at prioritizing potential candidates from the candidate list: a Test Pedigree Tree (TPT). Candidates ranked high on the JPLR list can be verified or eliminated from the list by using other close family members included in the database. To further validate this novel strategy, we describe two cases where implementation of this strategy led to a successful match and solved the crime.
•Familial search is based on the fact that related individuals are more likely to share alleles than unrelated individuals.•Familial search is conducted in "high profile cases" when there are no investigational leads.•This study demonstrates a new strategy for pedigree-based Familial search in a forensic database.•Our strategy is based on the ability to examine the biological affiliation (allele variation) of the family members in the pedigree.