Unidentified subjects and missing persons

Many deaths that are investigated by the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner remain as Unidentified Persons, due to decomposition, fire, injuries, or skeletonization.  During our investigation, we collect medical, dental, fingerprints, and unique characteristics from the Unidentified Person.  We also obtain records taken prior to an individual’s death for comparison purposes, if the family or law enforcement can provide the location of those medical or dental facilities.  Occasionally, DNA may also be submitted for comparison to known family members.  Once identification has been established, the family will be notified and can claim their loved one.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has created a database called NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System - http://www.namus.gov/ ). The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office is in the process of entering information for each unidentified person in Oklahoma into the NamUs system.  This information can be viewed by the public and direct contacts are included.  The DNA in the database is continually compared across the NamUs Unidentified and Missing Persons sites.

In order to aid with the resolution of Missing Person cases, the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner assists law enforcement agencies with collecting family reference DNA and participates in the annual Missing Person Day events.

If you have information regarding an Unidentified or Missing Person, please contact us by phone or email and we will be happy to assist you.  In order to help us search our database, please provide the Missing Person's full name, date of birth, date and place last seen, and other identifiers (ancestry, height/weight eye and hair color, tattoos, scars, NamUs link, etc).

Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office - Unidentified: Unidentifiedpersons@ocme.ok.gov

Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office - Missing Persons: Missingpersons@ocme.ok.gov

To see Oklahoma Unidentified and Missing Person cases in NamUs: https://www.namus.gov/Dashboard#/

**Oklahoma Missing Persons Day 2024** - April 27, 2024