March 28, 2024

Child ID fair records digital fingerprints

DUBUQUE (AP) — A child identification fair in eastern Iowa this weekend included volunteers recording digital fingerprints.

Recordings were saved on a compact disk Saturday for parents to keep on file. The information is then more readily available if an Amber Alert is needed for the child.

Parents are encouraged to keep the disk along with DNA samples and a photo identification card.

The station reports Chris Stechman, a relative of slain Iowa cousins Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins, helped organize the fair in Dubuque. Stechman says this early step helps with awareness and publicity if a child goes missing.

The girls disappeared in July while riding bikes in Evansdale. Their bodies were found in a wooded area in December.