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diagram of 2 individuals with a partial match of their DNA between them. only 2 of the locations on the double helix are the same.

Partial Matches

Overview

A partial match occurs when a Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) search is conducted and the results clearly show that the offender profile is not the source of the crime scene profile (also referred to as a forensic profile), but the possibility does exist that a close biological relative of the offender might be the source of the crime scene profile.1 CODIS searches can be conducted using various stringency modes:

1 Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods Ad Hoc Committee on Partial Matches: SWGDAM Recommendations to the FBI Director on the “Interim Plan for the Release of Information in the Event of a ‘Partial Match’ at NDIS”, Forensic Science Communications October 2009, Volume 11, Number 4.


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