California Fire Fallout: Public Confused By, May Mistrust Government As DNA Samples Wanted To ID Victims
Following the devastation of the California wildfires, authorities are seeking DNA samples from relatives of those who are missing in order to identify victims. However, the number of people who are coming forward to provide these DNA samples only number around 60 at the last time of reporting, as AP News speculates that “confusion and conflicting information, the inability of relatives to travel to Northern California and mistrust of the government may be contributing to the low number.”
For some relatives of those who are missing, the wait to find out the fate of their loved ones is excruciating. Meanwhile, the DNA testing of the remains that have been found “has been surprisingly easy,” said Annette Mattern. She is a spokeswoman for a company called ANDE, a company that is providing the technology required to expedite DNA testing of discovered remains.
