ELi5: How does DNA tests identify a person if that persons DNA is in no database?

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Say a crime has been committed, and the police find either blood or semen at the crime scene. However, the perpetrator has committed no prior crimes and therefore his DNA is in no database or registry. How are analyst able to find out who the perpetrator is through analyzing either the blood or semen found at the scene?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

If the DNA doesn’t match, then it’s not someone in the database. However, there are other sources of DNA matching – like 23andMe. From that the police might find a relative, and then they know it’s someone in a particular family. From there it’s plain old police work to see if they can prove who did it.

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