Other ways to help
You could help solve a cold case just by uploading your DNA into a law-enforcement-accessible database or sharing your family tree.
Upload your DNA
Uploading your DNA to GEDmatch.com and dnajustice.org is an easy and safe way to help law enforcement and forensic genetic genealogists find answers to unresolved deaths and disappearances.
“Opting in” at GEDmatch.com means giving permission for your DNA profile to help law enforcement and genealogists identify unidentified human remains and individuals who left DNA behind at a crime scene. DNA Justice was formed exclusively for helping law enforcement.
To share your DNA with law-enforcement-accessible databases such as GEDmatch and DNA Justice:
-
Click into your genetic testing site (e.g., 23andMe, AncestryDNA, Living DNA, FamilyTreeDNA, MyHeritage, etc.) and download your raw genotyping data (.txt) onto your computer.
-
Then upload your file to GEDmatch.com and dnajustice.org. Both websites are free to join.
Share your GEDCOM
Your family tree just might be the key to giving someone their name back. If you have ever built your family tree in an online platform, you’ve got a GEDCOM.
GEDCOM (.ged) means “genealogical data communication.” It’s a standardized, text-based file used to transfer genealogical data, holding essential details such as names, dates, places, and relationships.
Donating your GEDCOM is easy and free. Start by accessing your GEDCOM in your tree software:
-
Go to your account settings
-
Find your family tree
-
Export your tree to your computer
-
Important: do not open your GEDCOM
-
Then upload your GEDCOM below
Follow us and share
Help us get the word out about cold cases to generate new leads. You never know when a 50-year-old case will pick up momentum!