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Public Safety

San Diego County Coroner Wants To 'Identify The Missing'

San Diego County Chief Medical Examiner Glenn Wagner displays how the county identifies people, March 14, 2016.
Christopher Maue/KPBS
San Diego County Chief Medical Examiner Glenn Wagner displays how the county identifies people, March 14, 2016.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office wants to identify 153 John and Jane Does in the county morgue.

In an event dubbed "Identify the Missing," the county is asking families affected by the disappearance of a loved one to attend the event taking place on Saturday.

There, the county will collect photographs, DNA, as well as medical and dental records from families.

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Glenn Wagner, the county's chief medical examiner, said while dental records are helpful more information is needed.

"You can have the best dental records in the world, but if you have nothing to compare it with you can't do that," Wagner said. "That's what is so critical about the family providing whatever information they can from medical records, dental records, photographs, as well as those DNA swabs."

In addition to 153 unidentified persons, there are 3,175 active missing person cases in the county.

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