In conjunction with Crime Victims Week, she spoke Wednesday in Washington, D.C. at a briefing on missing persons and unidentified human remains for members of Congress, staff and the media. After flying back to the tri-state Thursday, Culberson gave a presentation in Newport, Ky. to increase concern toward crime victims, including those who are deceased.
A resident of Blanchester, Culberson's daughter Carrie Culberson was murdered in 1996 but the remains have not been recovered and returned. Debra Culberson has been working with U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-1st District) since about 2001 regarding the use of DNA testing to identify long-term unidentified remains.
"I have asked law enforcement, 'What do you do when you find human remains?' Well, I've been told on a number of occasions that they don't know what to do with them, so oftentimes they're put in a box and put on a shelf," said Culberson.
With today's DNA technology, that's "totally unacceptable," Culberson said.
DNA identification procedures can be utilized when there are no longer any physical descriptors such as hair, eyes or tattoos.
"With Carrie being long-term missing, I know that that's the only way we will be able to identify Carrie, will be through skeletal remains," Carrie's mother said.
Chabot, who is co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, led a successful effort in 2004 to include the Crime Victims' Rights Act into the Justice for All Act. The legislation requires states and local communities that receive federal funds for DNA testing to report the test results for unidentified remains to a nationwide database maintained by the FBI.
Under the Justice for All Act, there are federal dollars available to utilize DNA technology to identify human remains, but the practice is not mandated. Culberson said victims' rights advocates are working to have the practice mandated.
"I guess one of the reasons I think it should be mandatory is you've heard all of the horror stories of remains being cremated. Once those remains are cremated, there is no way at all [including DNA] to identify them," Culberson said Friday.
There are some states that already have such mandates, including California, said George Cecala, press secretary for Chabot.
To use DNA testing for identification purposes, it doesn't take much remains, said Culberson. Thus, if storage of long-term unidentified remains is an issue, then authorities could keep just a portion of the remains for purposes of ID.
Technology is evolving ever more quickly, said Culberson, and scientists are working on new and different aspects of DNA testing. Techniques that weren't available 10 years ago, today are solving these cold cases of unidentified human remains, she added.
At the briefing by Culberson, Chabot announced a nonbinding congressional resolution (HRES 340). It calls for continued funding of DNA technology for unidentified human remains, more cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement and greater access to federal DNA databases for local coroners and medical examiners.
CULBERSON PROBE CROSSES THE ATLANTIC Brown County a hide-out on night of murder?
Advanced DNA technology in the United Kingdom will be applied on southwest Ohio soil and groundwater taken during a 2004 barn excavation conducted by law enforcement looking for the remains of Carrie Culberson.
Culberson's mother, Debra Culberson, confirmed Friday that Brown County Chief Deputy John Dunn has been in contact with a scientist in the United Kingdom about testing the dirt and water samples from the excavation.
The two-week search of an area around a Brown County barn turned up duct tape, trash bags and a T-shirt that Carrie Culberson reportedly wore days before she was murdered in August 1996. However, Culberson's remains were not found, even though cadaver dogs alerted to spots at the site, raising hopes that eventually were dashed.
Dunn was out of the office Friday and not available for comment. A Thursday report on WKRC-TV's Web site included some comments by Dunn.
Dunn believes Culberson was in fact at the area of the barn on the night she was murdered - explaining the reactions of the cadaver dogs plus the presence of trash bags and duct tape. But because none of her remains were uncovered in the excavation, Dunn believes Culberson's body was then taken elsewhere, according to the WKRC-TV online report.
The News Journal on Friday asked Debra Culberson whether she remains hopeful her daughter's remains someday will be located and returned.
"How do you give up the hope? You know, that's all I have left is the hope that we find Carrie during our lifetime," said Culberson. "And whether it be through someone telling or by accident, I don't know. But yes, it's my hope - and always will be my hope - that I find Carrie in my lifetime."
No, it is not acceptable for human remains to be taken thrown away a trash. In the United States we can work to put a man on the moon but we cannot seem to keep up with found human remains. Or DNA testing. This is because found human remains and dead people do not vote or pay taxes.
The people of Ohio should also know that many of the convicted sex offenders in Ohio their DNA is not even stored in the DNA bank by the state. Named CODUS. This is not because of money. Is not because of time it is basically because people are lazy. We in this country pride ourselves so much on our achievements. But, we have to send our DNA work "across the pond" for them to do it for us. And then we expect them to respect us back.
The case of Carrie Culberson and her mother Mrs. Culberson is living proof, right up in your face that during every step of the way you have to stand behind the authorities with a whip to make them work. I cannot think of a more sad and tragic way to have to spend your life. This is the fault of the lazy authorities that figure they get paid whether the job gets done or not.
Posted: Monday, April 30, 2007
Article comment by:
Karen Stratton
In all my thoughts that with the technology of DNA available, that now we go overseas for help. This is not acceptable, to take human remains and throw the away like trash or burn them up like trash. I shake at the thought that this is what we are depending on for in our government. I wonder if these individuals even look at the Missing and Exploited Pictures at WalMarts!
My prayers are with Debbie and that she will be able to bring back evidence to help find Carrie.
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