![]() Maui Police Chief John Pelletier today again urged the public for patience in the search for the missing or unaccounted for in Maui fires. Officials are urging any immediate family member of the missing to provide a DNA sample to assist in identifying the remains, reiterating that the information won’t be stored or used for any other purpose. “We really need the public’s help,” Merrill said.įirst name, last name, birthdate and gender of the missing or unaccounted for will help officials verify the list quicker, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. ![]() The FBI office will collect the information of the missing such as birthdates and input the data into a spreadsheet, which will then be provided to the Maui Police Department, he said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is requesting that families who are searching for missing loved ones follow up with the agency’s new hotline to provide the most updated information to aid in the search for the missing or unaccounted for in Maui fires.įBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill said the hotline to call is 80. Don’t waste our time when we’re trying to do the right thing.” “We want you to do a report,” said Pelletier. He urged people looking for family and friends to file official missing persons reports with police.ĭespite more than 1000 people missing, Pelletier said he only has 85 missing persons reports and urged people to email and file a formal report. Maui police Chief John Pelletier, in response to a reporter’s question, said the department will eventually release a list of names and identifying information. The DNA can be used to link family members together.” We need families to come forward and create their samples. “We may not know, in the end, about everybody. “Please, follow…up to ensure they have the most accurate and up to date information,” said Merrill, who noted some list entries only include a first name and a phone number. He urged family members to donate DNA and ensure investigators have as much information as possible. They include family members, the Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, official missing persons reports filed with police, crowd sourced lists like the Maui Fires People Locator, state agencies, and traditional investigations. Speaking at a news conference on the ninth floor of the county building in Wailuku, Merrill told reporters that agents and police are combining lists of unaccounted for people from an array of sources. Merrill urged family members of the missing to submit DNA samples. The bureau’s efforts on Maui are being aided by a command post in Kapolei staffed by agents and intelligence analysts. Viewing from your mobile phone? Click here to watch on Facebook.īetween 1,000 and 1,100 people are unaccounted for following the deadly wildfires that destroyed Lahaina, according to Steven Merrill, special agent in charge, of the FBI’s Honolulu field office.įBI agents, members of the bureau’s evidence response team and forensic science experts are working with Maui police to pull together a comprehensive list. Editor’s Note: Watch the video above on your desktop computer.
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