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!
Placer County Sheriff’s Department Leverages Othram’s Identity Inference Platform to Identify a 1994 John Doe (DNASolves – 8/27/2026)
On July 7, 1994, human skeletal remains of an unidentified man were discovered near a campsite at Nyack’s Putt Lake located in Placer County, California. Loggers made the discovery and notified law enforcement. Investigators with the Placer County Sheriff’s Department responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. The remains were determined to belong to an adult male believed to be between 50 and 60 years old. Investigators were unable to determine the man’s cause of death or identify him at the time.
Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and he became known as Placer County John Doe (1994). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP17544.
In December 2024, investigators with the Placer County Sheriff’s Department submitted evidence to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided remains, then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. The profile was returned to law enforcement who used the profile in a forensic genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted directing investigators to potential relatives of the man. Investigators worked to obtain a reference DNA sample from a living relative of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be George Krusely, born April 30, 1929.
Riverside County District Attorney’s Office & Riverside Cold Case Homicide Team Leverage Othram’s Identity Inference Pipeline to Identify a 1992 Homicide Victim
(DNASolves – 8/28/2026)
On August 30, 1992, the remains of an unidentified woman were discovered in Riverside County, California. The woman’s skeletal remains were found concealed in brush at a turnout along Highway 95, approximately seven miles north of Blythe. Investigators estimated the woman was between 21 and 26 years old, and they documented clothing, tattoo details, and other identifying characteristics. The woman’s death was determined to be a homicide.
Keith Hunter Jesperson, known as the “Happy Face Killer” confessed to killing the woman, telling investigators that he had met her while working as a long-haul truck driver. While Jesperson referred to the woman as “Claudia,” investigators were never able to confirm her real name.
The case went cold, and Claudia remained unidentified for more than three decades. Case details was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP7048.
In January 2022, investigators with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, working as part of the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team, submitted evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists successfully extracted DNA from the provided evidence. Using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®, the Othram team was able to develop a comprehensive SNP profile for the woman. This SNP profile was provided to law enforcement for a forensic genetic genealogy search. Investigators then worked to develop new investigative leads about Claudia’s true identity.
While investigators were able to identify the woman’s paternal relatives in 2025, a maternal connection was required to make the final identification. In the course of the investigation, a lead was received which pointed to the woman’s maternal relatives. A DNA sample was collected from a potential relative and compared to Claudia’s DNA profile, allowing investigators to positively identify the woman as Lydia Jane Wade McWhorter.
McWhorter disappeared from Texas in the 1990s and her family spent decades not knowing what happened to her. With her identification, Lydia’s family will be able to appropriately honor her life and lay her to rest.
Keith Jesperson pleaded guilty to Lydia’s murder in Riverside County in January of 2010. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison and is currently serving multiple life sentences in Oregon. The identification of Lydia marks the last open case associated with the murders for which Jesperson was convicted.
Final Doe of the Happy Face Killer has Been Identified (Forensic – 8/31/2026)
For 33 years, Lydia Jane Wade McWhorter was known only as “Claudia,” an unidentified victim of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the “Happy Face Killer.”
Now, just days before the 34th anniversary of the discovery of her body on Aug. 30, 1992, McWhorter has her name back. She is the final unidentified victim of Jesperson’s killing spree.
DNA from Fork Leads to Arrest in 1999 Cold Case (Forensic – 8/31/2026)
After 27 years without a suspect or lead, Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) detectives got the break they needed to solve a sexual battery case from an unexpected source: a restaurant fork.
Sheriff Kevin Rambosk announced that Terry Lynn Denton, 71, was arrested last week on a CCSO warrant charging him with sexual battery in connection with the 1999 burglary and rape of a Naples woman in her home.
The case developed leads using forensic genetic genealogy and DNA recovered from a metal fork Denton used while dining at a restaurant in Arizona, ultimately leading to his identification and arrest. The case marks the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s first arrest resulting from a forensic genetic genealogy investigation.
Study: Better Collaboration in Cape Town Could Help Identify Unknown (Forensic – 8/31/26)
Every year, thousands of unidentified people pass through South Africa’s forensic pathology system, leaving families without answers and many victims unnamed. A University of Cape Town (UCT) PhD study by Kate Reid has found that while Cape Town’s forensic identification outcomes are better than previously believed, fragmented record-keeping, poor communication between stakeholders and inconsistent tracking systems continue to delay justice for many families.
The study used multiple data collection methods, including a retrospective review of more than 30 000 medico-legal case files spanning an eight-year period, prospective surveys of key stakeholders and relevant professionals, and a comprehensive review of the published literature.
Reid will graduate with a PhD in Forensic Medicine on Sept. 9, 2026. Her thesis, titled “Forensic human identification: what works and where can improvements be made? Meta-data analysis of identification procedures at a forensic mortuary in Cape Town, South Africa”, was supervised by Associate Professor Laura Heathfield and Emerita Professor Lorna Martin.
Delaware County Office of the Medical Examiner Teams with Othram to Identify a 2020 John Doe (DNASolves – 8/31/26)
On October 15, 2020, the City of Chester Fire Department was dispatched a house fire at approximately 7:30pm in the 500 block of West Sixth Street in Chester, Pennsylvania. Upon arrival, firefighters found an abandoned home engulfed in flames. After extinguishing the fire, the remains of a man were found lying on a mattress in a structure adjoining the burned home. Investigators responded and the man’s cause and manner of death were listed as “undetermined.”
The man could not be identified and details of the case were into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP90774.
In December 2025, the Delaware County Office of the Medical Examiner submitted evidence to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas where scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided remains. Othram scientists then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man.
During the course of their investigation, a potential relative of the man was located. The relative provided a DNA sample which was compared to the unidentified man’s DNA profile using KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing. This DNA comparison enabled investigators to positively identify the man as Matthew Kwiatkoski.
Arrest Made in 25-Year-Old Homicide Cold Case (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department – 8/31/26)
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD) Cold Case Unit identified Alan Marquis Phifer, 43, in connection to a homicide case that occurred back in March of 2001.
On Saturday, March 24, 2001, CMPD responded to an Assault with a Deadly Weapon call for service in the 3700 block of North Sharon-Amity Road in the Hickory Grove Division.
Upon arrival officers located three victims suffering from gunshot wounds and two additional victims who were physically assaulted. One victim, Cesar Gudino Gonzalez, 21, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The two additional victims suffering from gunshot wounds were transported to the hospital with non-life-threating injuries.
Homicide detectives responded to scene and began their investigation. Detectives continued to investigate for years before the case eventually went cold.
On Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, the CMPD Cold Case Unit picked up the case and began their investigation.
On Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, Detectives received a lab report implicating Mr. Phifer’s involvement. Detectives continued to investigate this case by conducting interviews and additional lab tests.
This past Wednesday, Aug. 26, Cold Case detectives were granted arrest warrants for Mr. Phifer.
Monday, Aug. 31, CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT) located and arrested Mr. Phifer.