In this scenario, a foreign DNA profile was obtained from the DNA testing of a sexual assault kit (SAK). The profile met the FBI’s eligibility criteria and was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but has not hit against another profile within CODIS.
CODIS will search all eligible indexes for a hit to the foreign DNA profile indefinitely, even after it hits to another profile and is still found to be eligible.
“At any time, this foreign DNA profile could return a hit in CODIS.”
As of March 2018 , CODIS contains more than 13 million offender profiles, more than 3 million arrestee profiles, and more than 845,000 forensic profiles, and more profiles are added every day across Wisconsin and the United States.
When a foreign DNA profile is uploaded into CODIS, the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory (WSCL) notifies the submitting agency and law enforcement on the WiSAKI team at the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ).
At any time, this foreign DNA profile could return a hit in CODIS.
Local and state multi-disciplinary teams (which may include prosecutors, law enforcement, and victim advocates) will work together to review the case for possible investigative work and survivor notification.
Victim notification in this scenario could help the investigating team eliminate the foreign DNA profile if it belongs to a consensual partner. Case review and victim notification could also help identify a known suspect. If there is a known suspect, a buccal swab could provide a profile match to the obtained foreign DNA profile, or eliminate the suspect.
The results of this case review and victim notification will inform the decision to proceed with further investigation.
At any time, this foreign DNA profile could return a hit in CODIS. To read about how an investigation would proceed after a CODIS hit, click here.