No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door!
50-Year-Old Cold Case Solved After Mother was Found Dead in Ditch with Daughter Left Abandoned Next to Her (UNILAD – 4/19/2025)
On July 7, 1972, Phyllis Bailer, and her child were driving from Indianapolis to Bluffton, a 100-mile journey to see her parents. However, the 26-year-old never made it there.
The Indiana State Police said that at 10:30am the next morning, Bailer’s car was found in Grant County, Indiana, with no sign of the mother or her child.
Sadly, just one hour later, a woman driving would make the discovery of Bailer’s body and her daughter in a ditch in Allen County.
According to the police, Bailer had been sexually assaulted and shot, but her daughter was left unharmed.
At the time, no arrests could be made, even though they had a suspect in mind.
But after a partial DNA profile taken from the mom’s clothing eliminated the person, they were left with no clues as to who really killed her.
Left to go cold for decades, it may have seemed as though nobody would ever find out the truth of that night, until now.
Last year, police shared that ‘a much stronger DNA profile’ was developed from the victim’s clothing, which allowed investigators to work with a forensic genealogy company called Identifinders International, a forensic genealogy company in California, founded by Colleen Fitzpatrick.
Team Uses AI to Enhance, Accelerate Human Identification (Forensic – 4/21/2025)
An interdisciplinary team comprising of faculty and doctoral students from the Department of Anthropology and Computer Science and Engineering, have found a way to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help forensic anthropologists identify individuals faster and more efficiently.
Members of the Michigan State University Forensic Anthropology Lab (MSUFAL), including Carolyn Isaac, Todd Fenton, Joseph Hefner, and doctoral student Alexis VanBaarle, co-authored a new study which analyzed over 5,000 chest radiographs, identifying different regions of interest (ROIs) that aid in identifying a person. The study used deep neural networks, a type of AI program, which allow for large numbers of radiographs to be analyzed in a fraction of the time.
University, Department of Public Safety Sign Forensics Agreement (Forensic – 4/21/2025)
Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety have formally agreed to work together on forensic investigations, including recovery of human remains, exhumations, surface scatter and burial recoveries, as well as identification of human skeletal remains.
MSU President Mark E. Keenum joined Public Safety Commissioner Sean J. Tindell for a Memorandum of Agreement signing in Jackson last week. Keenum said the university’s areas of expertise uniquely position MSU to support the Department of Public Safety’s forensic science needs.
The two entities will collaborate to develop and implement protocols for the recovery and analysis of human remains in various forensic contexts, communicate about forensic investigations and conduct periodic assessments and reviews of forensic methodologies and best practices to ensure effectiveness and compliance with legal and scientific standards.
Mystery of Unidentified John Doe Solved After 20 Years by DNA Sequencing (NBC News – 4/22/2025)
A man whose identity had remained a mystery since he died over 20 years ago has finally been identified, thanks to groundbreaking genealogy techniques.
The man was found alive but unconscious on the sidewalk of Third Avenue and West Madison Street in Phoenix in August 2004. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died of heat exposure. Medics and police at the time were unable to discern his name, and no next of kin came forward.
He was 6 feet, 2 inches tall, with scars on his abdomen and forearms, and he was estimated to be 30 to 55 years old.
Phoenix police followed the standard process of identification — entering fingerprints and a DNA sample into police databases — but had no success for decades.
However, after a series of specialist genealogy labs collaborated with authorities on the John Doe case, two living third cousins were identified, and the man has been confirmed as John Thiellesen.
Shining a Light on DNA: A Rapid, Ultra-Sensitive, PCR-Free Detection Method (Phys Org – 4/22/2025)
PCR genetic analysis has been in the spotlight since COVID-19, but light is now further facilitating PCR-free methods. Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have developed a light-induced DNA detection technique, using heterogeneous probe particles, that enables ultra-sensitive and ultra-fast genetic analysis without the need for PCR amplification. This advancement is paving the way for faster, more affordable, and precise genetic analysis across medicine, environmental science, and portable diagnostics.
As a means of analyzing changes in DNA, genetic testing—which is essential for diagnosing infectious diseases, detecting early-stage cancer, verifying food safety, and analyzing environmental DNA—has long relied on PCR (polymerase chain reaction) as the gold standard.
Sacramento Police Department and the California DOJ Team with Othram to Identify a 1991 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 4/22/2025)
On April 10, 1991, officers responded to a report of a deceased person in the 2000 block of North B Street in Sacramento, California. Upon arrival, they discovered the remains of a white female, estimated to be between 20 and 40 years old. The woman was found wearing blue jeans, a pink sweater, a light-colored blouse, white socks, and white Reebok shoes. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Despite the severity of the crime and a thorough investigation, the victim’s identity remained a mystery. In 2008, a DNA profile was developed and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but no matches were found. Her case was one of many that remained open, awaiting a technological breakthrough that could finally deliver answers. The case was listed in NamUs under case number UP2384 and the woman became known as Sacramento Jane Doe.
Years later, the case was revisited by investigators, and skeletal evidence was submitted to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Utilizing Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®, Othram scientists were able to build a comprehensive DNA profile. Funding for the testing was provided through the Roads to Justice (RTJ) initiative. The resulting profile enabled the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit to conduct forensic genetic genealogy research, which pointed to a potential identity. A standard familial DNA comparison later confirmed that the remains belonged to Sheila Osborne, a 40-year-old woman who had recently relocated to Sacramento from Johnson City, Tennessee around the time of her death.
Suffolk County Police Department and the FBI Leverage Othram’s Forensic Sequencing Platform to Identify a 1997 Murdered Toddler Found on Gilgo Beach (DNASolves – 4/23/2025)
In April 2011, the remains of a toddler were found near Ocean Parkway on Long Island in Suffolk County, New York. It was determined that the child was the daughter of an unknown woman, initially nicknamed “Jane Doe 3.” Jane Doe 3 was later determined to be “Peaches,” a Jane Doe, whose partial remains were found several miles away in 1997. Both Baby Doe and Peaches were identified on April 23, 2025.
The pair were found during an extraodinary months-long search effort by police across Long Island that uncovered the remains of ten people. The massive search began in 2010 as police looked for Shannan Gilbert, who had gone missing earlier that year. In December 2010, four other sets of human remains were found on Gilgo Beach in Suffolk County. These four–Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes–were dubbed “The Gilgo Four.”
Police continued to search along Ocean Parkway and in April 2011 they found six more sets of remains; an unidentified Asian biological male dubbed “Asian Doe,” “Fire Island Jane Doe” who was identified as Karen Vergata in 2023 using technology developed by Othram, Jessica Taylor and Valerie Mack, both of whom had been found partially in Manorville in 2003 and 2000.
The details of the toddler’s unidentified person case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP9704. Despite law enforcement’s exhaustive efforts, the toddler, and her mother, remained unidentified.
Evidence was submitted to Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to identify Peaches and Baby Doe. Forensic evidence was sent to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists developed a suitable DNA extract from the forensic evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive genealogical profile. After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team and the FBI team performed the necessary work to generate investigative leads. A follow-up investigation eventually able to confirmed the identity of Baby Doe as two-year-old Tatiana Dykes.
Taney County Coroner’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol Team with Othram to Identify a 2024 John Doe (DNASolves – 4/23/2025)
In September 2024, human remains were found in a sinkhole near Top of the Rock, a natural attraction area in Taney County, Missouri, just southeast of Branson. The remains were found by a worker taking photos of the area for a routine geological study. The area, which cannot be accessed by motorized vehicles, is not accessible to the public and was not used by employees or contract companies. It was determined that the remains belonged to a white male. The man was wearing a dark color t-shirt, blue jeans, a belt, and a pair of Nike shoes with one shoe partially on and the other one not on.
The man’s body was found stomach down in an open area of collapsed rock, which was approximately 80 to 100 feet below the nearest rock formations. The man had multiple fractures that were visible upon observation and rocks were positioned on top of his body.
Working with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Taney County Coroner’s Office teamed with Othram to use advanced DNA technology to help identify the man. During the course of the investigation, investigators identified a potential relative of the man. The relative submitted a reference DNA sample which was compared to the unidentified man’s DNA profile using KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man as 40-year-old Jacob Berney who was born on September 27, 1983. Jacob was reported missing from Branson, Missouri on July 18, 2024.
Nassau County Police Department and the FBI Leverage Othram’s Forensic Sequencing Platform to Identify a 1997 Gilgo Beach Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 4/23/2025)
In June 1997, the torso of an unidentified woman was found inside a container in the woods next to McDonald Pond at Hempstead Lake State Park. Hempstead Lake State Park is near Ocean Parkway on Long Island in Nassau County, New York. Her remains were in a plastic tub covered by plastic garbage bags, and she was found with a maroon towel and a dark floral pillowcase. Her head, both arms, and both legs (below the knee) were severed but were not found with the torso. On her left breast, she had a tattoo on her left breast depicting a heart-shaped peach with a bite taken out of it and two drops falling from its core, which resulting in her being given the nickname “Peaches.”
Investigators worked extensively to identify the woman, including releasing a photo of her tattoo to the public and publishing a photo of it in a national tattoo magazine to find the artist. The details of the woman’s unidentified person case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP11652. Despite law enforcement’s exhaustive efforts, Peaches remained unidentified for nearly three decades.
In December of 2010, police discovered four sets of remains on Gilgo Beach in Suffolk while searching for Shannan Gilbert, who had gone missing earlier that year. These four individuals– Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman, Amber Lynn Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes–were dubbed “the Gilgo Four,” and suspected to be victims of a serial killer, dubbed the Long Island Serial Killer.
Police continued to search along Ocean Parkway when in April 2011 they found six more sets of remains: an unidentified Asian biological male dubbed “Asian Doe,” “Fire Island Jane Doe” who was identified as Karen Vergata in 2023 using Othram technology, Jessica Taylor and Valerie Mack, both of whom had been found partially in Manorville in 2003 and 2000, and the extremities of a woman named “Jane Doe 3,” with an unidentified toddler dubbed “Baby Doe,” who was later found to be Jane Doe 3’s daughter.
In 2016, DNA testing linked the extremities that were identified as Jane Doe 3 as belonging to Peaches. Peaches’s remains were found on the Nassau side of Ocean Parkway in 2011, making her the only victim in the case to be found solely in Nassau County. Investigators were also able to associate two gold bracelets with the woman’s remains.
In 2020, forensic evidence was submitted to Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to identify Peaches. Previous attempts at building DNA profiles from the remains had failed, but Othram scientists were able to refactor the existing data for the unknown woman to build a usable comprehensive genealogical profile. After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team and the FBI team performed the necessary work to generate investigative leads. Peaches’s is now known to be Tanya Jackson, an Army veteran originally from Alabama who was born October 22, 1970. Tanya was a resident of Brooklyn, NY at the time of her death.
Identity Restored to Cleveland Man Missing Since 1980 (Ohio Attorney General – 4/23/2025)
A 20-year-old Cleveland resident who went missing 45 years ago has been identified through advanced DNA technology, the latest in a string of collaborative scientific successes involving unknown remains in Ohio.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Dr. Thomas Gilson, medical examiner for Cuyahoga County, announced today that the remains are those of Danny Lee Mitchell, who lived at 3393 E. 119 St. in Cleveland.
“Everyone counts, everybody matters – and thanks to forensic advancements, Danny Mitchell’s identity has been restored,” Yost said. “Our team has gone above and beyond to compassionately work this case, reminding everyone that through partnerships, decades-old cases can be solved.”
“We are pleased to provide answers to this part of the investigation so that it may help bring some closure to Danny Mitchell’s family,” Gilson said. “At the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, we acknowledge our collaborative partners in law enforcement and forensics, including BCI and the many individuals who helped identify Danny. As forensic technology continues to advance, it’s important that we remain committed to identifying those individuals who pass through our office without a name.”
Mitchell was last seen on April 2, 1980, at a house at 6319 Euclid Ave. A Call & Post newspaper story at the time described Mitchell as 5 feet 7 and 150 pounds with a close-cut Afro. He was wearing blue jeans, an orange flowered shirt and a black jacket, the story said, and was known to wear his 1978 class ring from John Adams High School.
Nearly four decades would pass before investigators were able to make any headway regarding Mitchell’s whereabouts.
