>> THE COOK COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE IS SET TO HOST ITS 4TH MISSING PERSONS DAY THIS SATURDAY.

IT'S AN EVENT DEDICATED TO PROVIDING RESOURCES TO THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF MISSING INDIVIDUALS.

ATTENDEES CAN FIND INFORMATION TO AID THEIR SEARCH AND THEY CAN CONNECT WITH GRIEF.

COUNSELORS IN THE EVENT INCLUDES OTHER ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE LIKE THAT NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN.

THE UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS SYSTEM AND THE AMERICAN RED CROSS.

JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THE EVENT IS DOCTOR UPON ER ROOM KAMAR THAT CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER FOR COOK COUNTY.

NOW, THIS THE 4TH SUCH EVENT, BUT LET'S GO BACK IN TIME A LITTLE BIT SOFTER.

WHAT PROMPTED YOUR OFFICE TO CREATE THIS EVENT?

>> THIS IS AN EVENT OF THAT HELPS FAMILIES BRING CLOSURE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAVE MISSING PEOPLE FOR MORE THAN A MONTH.

SO THESE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO FILE POLICE REPORTS AT OUR OFFICE.

THEY'RE ABLE TO ENTER THE INFORMATION INTO THE NATIONAL DATABASE.

THE NATIONAL UNIDENTIFIED IN MISSING PERSONS SYSTEM DATABASE.

THEY'RE ABLE TO BRING THEIR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE MISSING PEOPLE IN SUBMIT THAT INTO THE NATIONAL DATABASE, WHICH IS LOOKED AT BY EVERY OTHER AGENCY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THEY'RE ALSO ABLE TO ON THIS DAY PROVIDE BUCKLE SWAB CHEEK SWABS THAT CAN GET MATCHED TO ON POSSIBLE MISSING PERSON.

THAT IS IN THE DATABASE.

THEY'RE ABLE TO GET SERVICES FROM COUNSELORS FROM GRIEF COUNSELORS AT OFFICE.

SO THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO DO TO HELP FIND THEIR MISSING PERSON, NOT JUST FILE MISSING PERSONS REPORT.

CAN BRING THESE REPORTS TO OUR OFFICE ON THAT DAY, BUT THEY CAN DO OTHER THINGS.

IN ADDITION LIKE SUBMITTING THE DNA SWABS, WHICH WOULD BE A FINAL STEP THAT THEY CAN TAKE IN HELPING FIND IF I HAD A LOVED ONE WHO WAS MISSING.

>> IS JUST PART OF REGULAR PROTOCOL THAT PERHAPS POLICE DO AFTER?

I DON'T KNOW THE I-24 HOURS OR SOMETHING HAS GONE BY AND IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT SOMEBODY ISN'T JUST PARTY THERE ACTUALLY MISSING.

ISN'T THAT JUST REGULAR PROTOCOL?

SO THE REGULAR PROTOCOL IS THAT THEY JUST FILE A MISSING PERSONS REPORT.

>> THAT COULD GO INTO THE NATIONAL DATABASE DEPENDING ON HOW BUSY THAT POLICE AGENCY IS.

IT CAN BE A MONTH THAT CAN BE LONGER, BUT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO TAKE DNA FROM THESE FAMILIES AND SUBMIT THEM INTO THE NATIONAL ON IDENTIFIED IN MISSING PERSON, PULL A SYSTEM.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE AT OUR OFFICE BECAUSE WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM NAME WHICH IS THAT NATIONAL MISSING UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS SYSTEM.

>> IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD DO ANY OTHER DAY?

AND THIS JUST BRINGS ADDITIONAL ATTENTION TO IT OR IS THIS REALLY THE DAY DEVOTED TO IT THAT OTHERWISE INDIVIDUALS WOULD HAVE GO OUT OF THEIR WAY, MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS INDIVIDUALLY AND NOT DO IT AT YOUR OFFICE CORRECT.

THIS ONE DAY THIS SATURDAY BETWEEN 11:00AM AND 03:00PM.

>> WE OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FAMILIES TO TAKE ALL THE STEPS THAT ARE NEEDED.

ABLE TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE WORK WITH MULTIPLE POLICE AGENCIES WERE WORKING WITH NAME WHICH IS THAT NATIONAL DATABASE TO GET ALL THE RESOURCES TOGETHER TO HELP FAMILIES AND FRIENDS.

SO I WOULD ASK IF THEY'VE BEEN MISSING SOMEBODY FOR MORE THAN A MONTH IF THEY HAVE NOT FILED A POLICE REPORT, THE CAN JUST COME TO OUR OFFICE WITH INFORMATION LIKE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE MISSING PERSON IN THE HOSPITAL.

WRECK AIDS, DENTAL RECORDS THEY HAVE IN THE DRIVER'S LICENSE INFORMATION.

ANYTHING THAT CAN THAT THE CAN BRING TO HELP INTO THAT INTO THE MISSING PERSONS REPORT AND INTO THE NATIONAL DATABASE.

AND IF THEY HAVE CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS TO BRING THEM SO THAT THEY CAN SUBMIT CHEEK SWABS INTO THE NATIONAL DATABASE, THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

MY CHEEK SWAB VERSUS SAY MY BROTHERS ARE MY MOTHER'S COULD HELP.

DON'T KNOW EVERY CHEEK SWAB HELPS PRO TEND LEAD TO MORE OF A CONNECTION.

YES, CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS BRING THAT CONNECTION.

BRADY ME, DISTANT FAMILY MEMBERS LIKE HALF-SIBLINGS.

CAN BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT BUT CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS WOULD BE A WOULD PROVIDE A MATCH MUCH AND THEN THIS IS IN PARTICULAR FOR ANYBODY WHO IS MISSING OR LONG-TERM MISSING PERSONS AND THEN WHO QUALIFIES UNDER THAT DISTINCTION.

SO ANYBODY MISSING FOR MORE THAN A WHICH WE SUGGEST WOULD GET THE MOST HELP COMING TO OUR OFFICE ON SATURDAY.

YOU WERE THE MEDICAL EXAMINER WHEN THIS EVENT WAS CREATED, I BELIEVE THERE A SPECIFIC INCIDENT THAT PROMPTED TO OR >> WASN'T A SPECIFIC EVENT.

IT WAS A WAY TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO FAMILIES.

WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE DECEASED WHO ARE UNIDENTIFIED.

AND SO WE WORK ON THOSE CASES TRYING TO GET DNA AND FINGERPRINTS TO HELP IDENTIFY THESE PEOPLE.

WE AWARE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ABOUT 97,000 ACTIVE MISSING PERSONS REPORTS AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE CLOSURE.

SO THIS IS A SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE FEEL WE CAN PROVIDE ONCE A YEAR TO HELP THESE FAMILIES.

DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS YOU UNFORTUNATELY WHO ARE DECEASED AND WE DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR OFFICE WITH THE YEARS WE HAVE 35 DISSIDENTS WHO ARE UNIDENTIFIED.

BUT EVERY YEAR WE GET ABOUT 10 TO 12 DECEIT, WERE UNKNOWN.

AND WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN.

WE HAVE THEM POSTED LIKE THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE UNIQUE.

CLOTHING ITEMS ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT NOT EVERYONE GOES TO THAT WEBSITE AND WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP IDENTIFY THEM AND ALSO TO PROVIDE CLOSURE EVENT HAS LED TO SUCCESS LEAST ONCE.

WHAT CAN YOU SHARE ABOUT THAT?

SO, YES, THERE WAS A FAMILY THAT CAME TO OUR OFFICE.

THE WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE UNKNOWNS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR OFFICE.

WE HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS AND ON A BINDER AND OF THE LOOKED HIM AND WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THEIR LOVED ONE.

YOU KNOW, RELIEVED THAT THEY GOT THEY WERE SPANISH SPEAKING.

SO IT WAS HARD FOR THEM TO LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE.

BUT WE HAVE INFORMATION TRANSLATED IN SPANISH.

WE ALSO HAVE CONS OF SPANISH CONSULATE.

THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO HELP FAMILIES.

AND SO YOU KNOW, THAT HE WAS THAT FAMILY WAS ABLE TO GET CLOSE.

NOT THE RESULT THEY WANTED PER SE, BUT STILL, YOU KNOW, IN OUR IN OUR LAST 30 SECONDS OR SO.

I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO I GUESS WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED THROUGH TAKING ON THIS ROLE, PARTICULARLY AFTER VERY TOUGH YEARS.

YOU'VE BEEN MEDICAL EXAMINER THROUGH COVID HAVING TO DO WITH MORE 10,000 INDIVIDUALS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES SINCE PANDEMIC.

SO IT IS A MISSION OF FOR OFFICE TO TREAT OUR EDEN'S WITH RESPECT.

AND WE WANT TO IN A PROGRESSIVE DO MORE THAN THAT MISSION TO HELP FAMILIES GET CLOSURE ON DURING THE PANDEMIC.

WE HAD CLOSE TO 3 TIMES USUAL CASE LOAD.

THANKFUL TO OUR STAFF, TOO HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, THE STORAGE OF TO DECEIVE DUNST, HELP THE FAMILIES GET CLOSURE THROUGH, GIVING CAUSE OF DEATH THIS WE HAVE THE LAST POSITIONS FOR THESE DISSIDENTS AND WE TAKE THIS AS A TO THE SUCH CARE AND I'M SURE REALLY MAKES YOU GET A GIVEN A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR LIFE.

SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR TIME WITH US.

AND BEST OF LUCK ON SATURDAY TO YOU AND THE FAMILIES.

ONCE AGAIN MISSING