Why does it take weeks or months to ID someone via a DNA sample?

[Muse]

I see and hear this all the time in news stories. Why does it take so long?

 

[Slew Foot]

Because you didnt hand over a carton of cigarettes

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Because there is blood, sweat, tears, and semen on everything. And it just takes time to differentiate between them all.

 

[Muse]

Because there is blood, sweat, tears, and semen on everything. And it just takes time to differentiate between them all.

Not sure I understand. I got the idea from a news story I read today about authorities trying to identify some victims of the Northern California wild fires. In some cases they may have little more than a bone and they said it could take weeks or months to get a positive identification from the DNA. This, even though they probably have a good sample from the person who they think expired in the fire to compare with what they found in the charred rubble.

 

[Red Squirrel]

If it's just to ID victims of an incident, it falls as very low priority as there is no monetary benefit and it's just a process that has to be done. If it's to ID someone for a "high end" (to the government) crime like drugs or software piracy, then it will be higher priority as there is monetary benefit.

 

[shortylickens]

Backlog.

The process itself doesnt actually take very long. Thats why for a serious manhunt the FBI can get stuff finished in hours while an overworked Los Angeles D.A. will have to wait months for evidence in a low priority burglary.

 

[TheELF]

Also having the DNA analysis in front of you doesn't give you a name,you will have to compare to a known sample,for the fires they would have to compare the sample with samples from all the relatives of everyone who lived around there for them to find the closest match.