DNA DOE PROJECT NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 2023

DNA Doe Project identifies human remains through community collaboration

and cutting-edge investigative genetic genealogy.

Each month we feature one or more of our toughest cases to raise awareness and generate leads to get these Jane and John Does identified. This month, our feature will be a little different, because we know that official counts of unidentified remains are just the tip of the iceberg. As of today, there are 14,543 Jane and John Does in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS), the United States' database of missing and unidentified persons. Organizations like the DNA Doe Project are making a dent - identifying hundreds each year collectively. However, it’s estimated that the number of unidentified grows by 1,000 each year. There is so much more work to be done.

For November, we feature the Uncounted Does - those who have never made it into NamUS, and whose stories have never been told. Buried under headstones bearing the names Jane and John Doe, or buried without a headstone at all, these are men, women, and children who are disconnected from their families and communities. They’re waiting for us to get them back home. And we need your help to do this work.

We’re just getting started.

When did you become a DDP Team Leader? What motivated you?

Rebecca:  I have been a volunteer with DDP since September of 2019 and was brought on to help with Hispanic cases. I describe myself jokingly as a “scribe in the basement of the monastery” because I spent my first two years building and building and building trees on two teams working on very difficult cases with a lot of endogamy [many generations of marriage within a small community]. I now treasure that experience because, even though I was very experienced in Hispanic genealogy, the massive number of trees required in these cases really honed my skills. My first case as a Team Leader was Lilydale Jane Doe 1976 and I was partnered with Tracie Boyle. We launched the case in June 2021. I have always been eager to take on challenges and learn more than just “my job.” I’m curious and that leads me to new places, new questions and new discoveries!

How does DDP form a team for a new case? How many people work on one case?

Rebecca: DDP starts with pairing two Team Leaders for each case. Generally, it is an experienced team leader paired up with new leader. This works well because working a case together gives a real hands-on experience for the new leader. I was very lucky to have been paired with Tracie Boyle! I am so grateful for her leadership. She allowed me to hold the reins and take the lead while she guided me through the whole process. The volunteers that are added to a case come first from our Volunteer Coordinator, who looks at case-load, skills, experience and gives us list of generally two to four volunteers who are available. 

How do teams of Investigative Genetic Genealogists (IGGs) work together to solve so many complex puzzles in building the family tree of an unknown person? What is the value of teamwork vs. having one person do it alone?

Rebecca: We use the saying, “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.” Every team is a mix of different skill sets. The leaders are part teacher, part cheerleader, part “big picture” management and we have the experience in managing the numerous moving parts that guide the team to finding a Doe candidate. The volunteer team members also bring their amazing skills and dedication to the effort. We love to see the self-starters that dig in and use their genealogy and DNA knowledge! I have learned new things from every team I have worked with. Yes, the puzzles in building family trees can be extremely complex! That is where the teamwork is at it’s best. We work each match tree individually, but our continued team communication throughout the process helps break down brick walls and solve tricky hurdles. I’m certain that there are cases that could be solved alone but so far in my experience, numerous sets of eyes are better!

What are some of the most challenging parts of IGG research?

Rebecca: The most challenging part of IGG research for me are the endogamous cases. They generally come to us with a handful of reasonable, workable DNA family member matches and segment clusters, but after that the tree building gets very hard. It’s hard as a team leader to keep the team motivated and to develop a research strategy. These are long-haul cases that require hours of tedious tree building. Don’t get me wrong though! We find Doe candidates in these cases and it is so rewarding!

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, and to raise awareness

of the large number of John and Jane Does of Latin American heritage, we featured seven cases through our social media channels during the month of October.

Total kit submissions: 149

Total matches: 16

Total new uploads to GEDmatch: 5

Total of kits submitted to all seven cases: 8

Unique kit numbers: 46

Highest centimorgan DNA relative match: 31.7cm

Leveroni Road John Doe and Missouri Street John Doe had no matches.

Tom Green County John Doe had the most matches with 10.

Please continue to share each one and help us raise awareness of the need for more people with Spanish-speaking ancestors to upload their DNA to GEDmatch and Family Tree DNA.

More DNA family matches are the key to bringing them home.

Our IGG teams have recently received DNA profiles back from the labs on several previously announced and funded cases, and they are hard at work! THANK YOU so much for your generous support to give us the resources needed to identify these John and Jane Does!

We are so grateful for your interest and support.

Your friends at the DNA Doe Project