An Interview with the DNA Doe Project – Identifying the Unknown Through Genetic Genealogy

The DNA Doe Project is a an all-volunteer organization dedicated to using genetic genealogy to identify John and Jane Does. Working with law enforcement, they are able to find success even when the DNA was highly degraded. Their DoeFundMe program allows for public donations to solve cases when resources may not be otherwise available. We sat down with Margaret Press and Colleen Fitzpatrick, co-founders of the DNA Doe Project. They describe how the DNA Doe Project was formed, how they’ve learned to overcome obstacles (such as degraded DNA), the differences in working with Doe cases versus criminal cases, and what it means to them to be able to provide identities to the unknown.