If police have an unknown criminal's DNA sample that doesn't match any suspects or folks in databases, why can't they just analyze it to figure out the sex, race, appearance, etc. of the criminal?

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Walt O'Reagun Profile
Walt O'Reagun answered

They regularly do ... To figure out gender and ethnicity, anyway.

Even if DNA can be use for such things like saying someone has blue eyes and blonde hair ... That wouldn't be much help, even if people wouldn't easily be able to get colored contacts or dye their hair.

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N. Harmonik
N. Harmonik commented
Could it help them identify more specific features like length of nose or type of hair?
Walt O'Reagun
Walt O'Reagun commented
Not with the DNA knowledge we currently have.

Even if we DID have that knowledge, it wouldn't be helpful.
For your examples ... the person could have cosmetic surgery to alter their nose, or use over-the-counter products to alter their hair.
N. Harmonik
N. Harmonik commented
Not necessarily. In this example, the forensic sculptor produced an aged bust of a murderer and he was identified when a neighbor saw it on TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRjZ9YhtTyQ

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