JACKSON — Forensic scientists and investigators across Mississippi and the nation are being recognized this week for the role scientific evidence plays in criminal investigations and in identifying missing and unidentified people.
National Forensic Science Week runs Sept. 20-26 and highlights disciplines including DNA analysis, fingerprint examination, forensic anthropology, forensic odontology, forensic pathology and toxicology. The Mississippi Forensics Laboratory with all its brances is the best-known forensics lab in the state. Scales Biological Lab in Brandon also handles a substantial amount of evidence for criminal investigations in the state.
Reunite Mississippi, a nonprofit organization focused on missing and unidentified people, said forensic science can help investigators answer critical questions and provide families with information about loved ones who are missing or unidentified.
“Behind every unidentified person is someone who is missing from their family,” Reunite Mississippi said in its National Forensic Science Week message. “Behind every missing person is someone who deserves to be found.”
Forensic evidence can help connect unidentified remains to families, establish identities and provide information investigators need to advance cases.
Mississippi also has a professional organization dedicated to forensic identification and related investigative disciplines.
The Mississippi Division of the International Association for Identification has operated as a dedicated division since 1980. Its members include local and county law enforcement officers, state and federal agents, coroners, medical examiners, forensic scientists, college professors and students.
The organization provides training for criminal justice professionals, mentorship for students and people interested in forensic fields, and networking opportunities for professionals involved in criminal justice and investigations.
The Drug Enforcement Administration also is recognizing the week and highlighting the work of its forensic scientists. The agency said its laboratories examine evidence ranging from cellphones and fingerprints to cryptocurrency transactions and emerging synthetic drugs.
According to the DEA, forensic analysis can help investigators identify traffickers, connect suspects to evidence, track drug trafficking trends and identify emerging substances.
The DEA is hosting several events during the week, including opportunities to meet forensic scientists at the DEA Museum in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and a Forensics Festival at DEA headquarters on Friday, Sept. 25.
National Forensic Science Week organizers emphasize that behind every piece of evidence is a person or family waiting for answers — a reminder of the human impact behind the science.
Reunite Mississippi’s message for the week is: “Every clue matters. Every person matters.”
