(Columbus) -- The Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) is partnering with Battelle to host the third annual Ohio Missing Persons Day today.
This special event will honor the more than 900 people who are currently missing in Ohio.
BCI criminal intelligence analysts and forensic scientists will be available to collect DNA from missing persons' loved ones for inclusion in the Ohio LINK (Linking Individuals Not Known) Program.
The LINK Program was established through the Ohio Attorney General's Office in 1999 to help match DNA taken from family members of missing individuals to DNA from unidentified remains. Samples of DNA submitted by family members as part of the LINK Program are compared only to DNA samples of unidentified remains submitted through similar programs nationwide.
Family members who are interested in submitting DNA for Ohio LINK are encouraged to bring copies of photographs, police reports, medical and dental records, and X-rays associated with their missing loved one's case.
Saturday's event will also feature scientists with Battelle who will discuss massively parallel sequencing technology (MPS). MPS is an emerging DNA technology being researched at Battelle in partnership with BCI to support missing persons investigations throughout Ohio.
Clay facial reconstruction models of unidentified remains created by a BCI forensic artist will also be on display in an effort to identify the unknown individuals.
The BCI Missing Persons Unit helps to locate missing persons, proactively identifies at risk youth, and works with nationwide partners to recover human trafficking victims.
The event is 1 to 4pm at the Battelle Institute at 505 King Avenue in Columbus.