(Cleveland) - The Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office continues working to identify the remains of the 11 African-American females found in and around the Imperial Avenue home of Anthony Sowell.

“We are once again asking the relatives of missing African-American females to provide our office with DNA samples to match to the DNA extracted from the victims found at the Imperial Ave. location,” said Powell Caesar, Director of Public Affairs.

He noted, however, that DNA samples ARE NOT the only way to help identify the victims.

“Dental records are just as helpful as DNA samples,” Caesar said. “Family members with missing females may also provide the Coroner’s Office with name of any dentist that the missing individual may have gone to for dental care.”

Caesar said that any DNA samples submitted to the Coroner’s Office by relatives would ONLY BE USED for purposes of identification. The DNA samples will not be turned over to any other agency, he stressed.

“It is illegal to use any DNA sample except for its intended purpose – in this case attempting to identify these victims,” Caesar said. Persons submitting to DNA sampling must sign a “confidentiality agreement” that insures their privacy.

Persons who have a loved one missing may call the Coroner’s Office on (216) 721-5610 to provide the names of any dentist that may have provided dental care for a missing individual OR to make an appointment to provide a painless DNA sample.

(Copyright © 2009 Clear Channel. All rights reserved.)