May 20, 2026 – Springfield, Massachusetts – The Hampden District Attorney’s Office hosted a Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG) event at the World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast in Springfield on Saturday, May 16, where all 37 DNA collection kits brought to the event were used by community members interested in assisting unresolved homicide investigations in Hampden County.

The Hampden District Attorney’s Office staffed a booth in front of the MassMutual Center with Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Dunphy Farris, chief of the Unresolved and Unidentified Case Investigation Unit, and members of the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office. Staff spoke with passersby in both English and Spanish, answered questions about the process and the office’s investigative efforts, and collected voluntary DNA samples using a simple cheek swab.

Through FIGG, DNA gathered from crime-scene evidence is compared against publicly available genealogy databases to identify distant relatives of potential suspects. These genetic connections can help investigators build family trees, narrow down leads, and, in some cases, identify offenders who have evaded justice for years. Participants in the event also receive a complimentary ancestry profile and family-tree report — a service that typically costs several hundred dollars.

“Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy is giving law enforcement and families renewed hope in cases that have gone unresolved for far too long,” said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. “We are incredibly grateful to the individuals who voluntarily provided their DNA at the World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast in an effort to help us generate leads, identify offenders, and bring answers to families across Hampden County who are still searching for justice.

“Community involvement like this truly has the power to make a difference,” he added.

Investigators urge anyone with information related to an unresolved homicide in Hampden County to call the Hampden District Attorney’s Office State Police Detective Unit at (413) 505-5993 or text-a-tip to CRIMES (274637), typing the word SOLVE, and sharing your tip.

The District Attorney is committed to making every effort to bring resolution to these cases and closure to the families of the homicide victims.