Just Investigative Support For Indigenous Communities

In episode three of our Unidentified Human Remains mini season, Just Science sat down with Mark Pooley, founder of Native Search Solutions, and Dustin Driscoll, Research Public Health Analyst at RTI International, to discuss the many barriers faced by indigenous communities when it comes to identifying missing and murdered persons. In order to properly investigate cases of missing and murdered individuals, it is crucial that law enforcement agencies have access to necessary resources and technologies, including DNA analysis capabilities, national databases, and sufficient manpower. Unfortunately, many tribal law enforcement agencies currently work with limited access to these basic investigative tools, making it much more difficult to find and identify missing members of native and tribal groups. Listen along as Dustin and Mark discuss common causes of missing indigenous persons, specific gaps in investigative resources, and the growing community working to support indigenous groups. This episode is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (Award No. 15PNIJ-21-GK-02192-MUMU). Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses, or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.