The Unidentified Decedent Reporting System: a model national website registry for the unidentified deceased

Although electronic data systems exist for information about missing and unidentified deceased persons, there are many such databases and federally operated ones such as the National Crime Information Center are not readily accessible to, or searchable by persons such as medical examiners, coroners, and other members of the public who need the information. "One-stop shopping" for such information could facilitate the location of missing persons who have died and the identification of deceased persons whose names and identities are unknown.

The authors used their combined experience as a medical examiner, who is responsible for overseeing medical examiner cases in which identification of the deceased is needed, and an occupational researcher, who has been involved in numerous projects database development of interest to the medical examiner and coroner community, to develop a model, internet-based reporting system for unidentified deceased persons. The system design and data elements are also based on needs that have been identified by several recent working groups, advisory boards, and educational sessions that have been federally funded through the National Institute of Justice, and which the lead author (R.H.) has participated as a panelist or working group or advisory board member.

The model Unidentified Decedent Reporting System (UDRS) is a web-based database that would have controlled access for medical examiners and coroners to enter and edit case information, and uncontrolled access by the public, law enforcement agencies, and interested missing persons organizations to conduct searches using various criteria. The website has forms that contain information about demographics, anthropologic assessments, dental information, distinct bodily features, fingerprint classification, clothing, and jewelry and also allows for uploading of images that show unique features. The search program allows the user to select criteria to search and to search with any combination of variables in the database.

The model UDRS may be a useful step toward the development of a one-stop shopping system for use by all medical examiners and coroners in the United States, providing a single point of entry for all unidentified decedent cases and a single source that can be searched by the public and interested agencies. The UDRS could eventually be electronically linked to existing missing persons files such as NCIC. With slight modification, the system could be modified to include case information on missing persons, and it also could have some utility in multiple fatality incidents when deceased bodies are intact. The main purpose of the UDRS, however, is to provide a user friendly and accessible database for information on unidentified deceased persons routinely encountered by medical examiners and coroners in their daily work. The UDRS is not currently designed as a total replacement for other systems, but as a starting point and front-end database that can eventually be tied to existing and functional electronic databases dealing with missing persons and the unidentified deceased.