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We keep the costs to our law enforcement and medical examiner partners low with your help. Your monthly gift will make it possible for DNA Doe Project to take all the cases that come to us in 2024. Please become a monthly donor today.

Together, we can help bring them home.

Our Cases

Since our founding in 2017, DNA Doe Project has worked on more than 200 cases of unidentified remains. Among our success stories are the very first identifications made using investigative genetic genealogy.

At DNA Doe Project, we don’t just take on the ‘easy’ cases — we accept those from every community, regardless of circumstance, racial or gender identity, or cause of death. It can take months or years to identify these individuals, but we don’t give up. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to maintain their name and identity, even in death. We work every day to make that reality.

We’re featuring Transgender Julie Doe, who needs the public’s help to share her face and story. Check out our social media post about this case and the full case details on our website here.

The public can also help by uploading their DNA profiles to GEDmatch.com, FamilyTreeDNA.com, and DNAJustice.org. Find out how here.

DNA Doe Project News

Historic Discovery Made in 1921 Graves Investigation

First ID Announced of Tulsa Race Massacre Victim

It's been 103 years, and C.L. Daniel is finally being returned to his family and community. Today, the City of Tulsa announced the first positive identification of one of the victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre who had been buried in a potter's field. DNA Doe Project is proud to be one of the investigative genetic genealogy partners on the...

NYC Missing Persons Day

All of the Jane and John Does we identify are missing persons, and supporting their families is part of our mission. We're so happy to see events like this one in NYC popping up all over the country. Through our work to send them home, we've learned how families and communities can help. Read our advice here.

DNA Doe Project statement regarding FTDNA database use

UPDATE: Following discussions with the leadership at Othram, our management has decided to resume uploads to Familytreedna.com. After the recent announcement of a partnership between Gene By Gene, the parent company of Familytreedna.com and Othram, a for-profit provider of laboratory and investigative genetic genealogy services, the management of...

Message from our Founder, Margaret Press

DDP’s founder Margaret Press is retiring as CEO of the organization. Read her heartfelt message to supporters, donors, and volunteers here.

BIG Announcement: DDP and NatGeo team up

The DNA Doe Project has teamed up with Wall to Wall Media and National Geographic Channel to produce a documentary series about our work! We’re thrilled to open a window on a handful of active cases, from initial mystery, through DNA extraction and painstaking genetic investigation, to discovery of the Doe’s identity and story. Coming soon. More...

A message from our founder, Margaret Press

Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) has been in the news recently as a technique that may have been used to identify killers in some very high profile cases. In light of questions being asked about the the work of the DNA Doe Project and our code of ethics, we have spent some time reviewing our own history. Click this link to read Margaret's...

DNA Doe Project Celebrates 100

On National DNA Day 2023, the DNA Doe Project is celebrating with a milestone – we have resolved 100 cases of unidentified remains! Learn more and join the celebration today. Less than 6 years after its founding, the DNA Doe Project has reached an important milestone: its 100th identification. That’s 100...

Winter Practicum Test Answers

DNA Doe Project recently concluded the winter practicum program (formerly called the apprentice program), which occurred over four weeks in January 2023. The practicum program provides experienced genetic genealogists with the opportunity to work on a real, unsolved unidentified remains case, giving them practical experience in investigative...

Collaboration begun to identify victims from Tulsa in 1921

The DNA Doe Project is honored to work with Intermountain Forensics and the Utah Cold Case Coalition on the initiative to identify victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. The success of this project depends on the participation of the community and relatives of the victims. Please visit www.intermountainforensics.com/tulsadnaproject to learn...

Collaboration to improve DNA sequencing

DNA Doe Project is delighted to be chosen to work with Astrea Forensics, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and Arc Bio on a new way to process degraded DNA samples that could help solve even more cases.

“I’m proud to have ticked the box to allow law enforcement use of my DNA! If I ever help identify a person or criminal I’ll be very pleased!”

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