Informed Consent

Key Information

• The purpose of the DJF database is to help investigate unidentified human remains and the violent crimes of murder, nonnegligent manslaughter, rape/sexual assault, abduction, robbery, aggravated assault, terrorism, ongoing threats to the public – and any attempts at the first three crimes. Eligible Cases do not include fetal remains or stillborn children where the purpose would be to implicate the birthing parent in a crime.

• By consenting to participate in the DJF database, you permit law-enforcement agencies and their genetic genealogy practitioners to analyze your DNA relationships to other participants in the database and to view the other Personal Information you provide. 

• Participation is completely voluntary, and you can remove your data from the DJF database at any time.  Removing your data will prevent it from being used in future investigations, but may not remove it from ongoing investigations.

How Will I Benefit From Participating in the DJF Database?

• Your Personal Information may help Agencies arrest a violent criminal, preventing them from committing additional crimes and victimizing additional individuals.

• Your Personal Information may help to provide answers to the family of an unidentified deceased person.

• A robust database may act as a deterrent to future criminals.

• Your Personal Information may narrow the focus of an investigation and potentially eliminate hundreds, or even thousands, of innocent persons from being placed under suspicion of committing a violent crime, and the stress and legal expenses that could potentially occur as a result.

• Your Personal Information may help to exonerate an innocent person who could be charged with and/or convicted of a crime they did not commit.

What Are the Risks of Participating in the DJF Database?

• You may learn that you are related to a violent criminal or to an unidentified deceased person.

• You or Agencies may learn that your biological relationships are not as you expected.

• Your Personal Information could be utilized in a case where an innocent person is temporarily placed under suspicion of committing a violent crime, putting them through unnecessary stress and expense.

• You may be named in court documents available to the defense or to the public.

• While we screen Eligible Cases and Agencies carefully, it's possible that ineligible cases may be investigated in the DJF database without DJF’s knowledge or permission.

• Although DJF maintains all Personal Information in encrypted storage with only authorized access, there remains a small risk of a data breach that could expose your data without permission.