The city is encouraging families with missing loved ones to donate DNA samples in the hopes of matching it to unidentified human remains.

New York City became a pioneer in the use of DNA matching more than a decade ago as it worked to identify remains from the September 11 attacks.

Submitting a DNA sample from a close relative or an item used by the missing person is often a last resort for families, but the medical examiner says the nationwide effort can help family members get answers.

The remains of around 50 missing people are identified using DNA samples each year, and there are as many as 100,000 open cases on any given day in the United States.