We examine the problem of identifying remains in mass disasters such as the World Trade Center, Waco, and airplane crashes. Typically, the problem is closed or nearly so, in that the individuals that could be involved are known. Depending on the state of the remains, nuclear DNA profiles, typically the 13 CODIS loci used by the FBI, are produced for each sample, and in cases where the remains are significantly degraded, as in the case of severe heat or fire, one may also sequence mitochondrial DNA from the hyper-variable control region. The problem is to determine the individual from whom each sample came from, given the genetic profiles of near relatives and possible direct evidence from personal effects fo the victim.

The talk will elaborate on the nature of data, develop the necessary background on computing the probability of a pedigree, and formulate the overall goal as a series of algorithmic problems with a preliminary progress report on each.