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!
NYC’s Annual Missing Persons Day Aims to Find Answers for Loved Ones (CBSNews – 6/06/2026)
Missing Persons Day has been held annually since 2014.
It’s a chance for loved ones to go directly to forensic biologists at the OCME to seek answers to cold cases and track down individuals who have been missing for 60 days or more.
Social services and other resources are also available. Multi-lingual services are also available.
“This is an event for us to advertise this is what we do. Our job is to find your relative, but we need to talk with you,” OCME Assistant Director Mark Desire said. “We’ve interviewed hundreds of family members and made over 100 identifications because of events like this.”
Desire is one of the event’s creators, sparked by the amount of missing persons cases he, with the agency, responded to after 9/11.
DNA Doe Project Identifies 1989 and 2015 Jane Does (Forensic – 6/08/2026)
For nearly four decades, investigators have searched for the identity of a young woman whose remains were discovered buried in a vacant lot. Now, the Bullhead City Police Department, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, and the DNA Doe Project have announced that she has finally been positively identified as Sonya Alice Langan.
On May 15, 1989, a construction crew discovered skeletal remains buried in a vacant lot on Castleberry Lane in Bullhead City, Arizona. Investigators determined the victim was a young woman between 17 and 19 years old, and evidence indicated she had been deceased for two to ten years prior to her discovery, placing her date of death as early as 1979. A bullet recovered from her skull confirmed the case as a homicide.
The young woman had shoulder-length brown hair that may have been partially bleached, and she wore a distinctive multicolored owl earring. She had also received extensive dental work in her life; two of her upper teeth were missing and had been replaced by a partial denture plate. Despite decades of extensive investigative efforts, her identity remained a mystery and the case went unsolved.
The turning point came in 2024, when the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit approached the Bullhead City Police Department with the opportunity to secure federal grant funding for forensic genealogy testing. Once approved, the funds allowed evidence to be submitted to the DNA Doe Project, a non-profit organization whose expert investigative genetic genealogists work to identify John and Jane Does. In late 2025, researchers successfully developed a 99% match, finally restoring Ms. Langan’s name.
“This case came with its own complexities,” said team leader Eryk Jan Grzeszkowiak. “Sonya Alice Langan’s ancestry included French Canadian endogamy, and one of her grandparents was recorded as having 17 children. We are truly honored to have been able to restore her name through IGG.”
TrueAllele Reliability Upheld in Over 50 Admissibility Challenges (Police1 – 6/08/2026)
After considering challenges to its reliability, courts have admitted TrueAllele Casework evidence 51 times across 17 states and 5 federal courts, with nine appellate precedent decisions in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and at the federal level.
These admissibility challenges are important for using probabilistic genotyping (PG) in criminal cases with DNA evidence that can be difficult to interpret, including mixed, low-level, degraded, touch, familial, and previously inconclusive DNA evidence.
DNA evidence in criminal cases can support police, prosecution, or defense case theories with reliable results presented to courts. TrueAllele’s admissibility history provides a foundation for the reliability of PG results with “limited, complex, or unresolved” DNA evidence. TrueAllele has been used in homicide, sexual assault, gun crime, property crime, cold case, post-conviction matters, and other cases involving challenging DNA evidence. Its admissibility record shows that the technology is reliable in the court system and can be presented to the trier of fact at trial.
Those in the criminal justice system with difficult DNA evidence should not rule out “inconclusive” DNA data. Reliable computer interpretation can help to revive previously “unusable” DNA evidence.
Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1999 Allegheny County Jane Doe (DNASolves – 6/09/2026)
On June 28, 1999, the decomposed remains of an unidentified individual were found in the basement of an abandoned home on North Avenue in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. The remains were determined to be those of a Black female, estimated to be between 18 and 35 years old. Because of the condition of the remains, there was no way to identify the individual at the time.
Despite investigative efforts, the woman could not be identified and became known as Wilkinsburg Jane Doe (1999). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP2670.
Recently, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the person. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the person. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the person. This investigation led to the positive identification of the person, who is now known to be Genelle Princess Bradford. Bradford was 18 years old. Authorities announced that the focus of the investigation now shifts toward seeking justice in her homicide, and they have not yet identified a suspect.
NIST Expands Its Library of ‘Chemical Fingerprints’ to Identify Unknown Substances (NIST – 6/09/26)
NIST has added tens of thousands of new items to its largest library of chemical fingerprints, now totaling hundreds of thousands of compounds.
Researchers and manufacturers rely on the library to identify unknown compounds in food, drugs, cosmetics, the environment, body fluids, forensic evidence and even space rocks.
Each fingerprint is generated using a mass spectrometer, which ionizes and shatters a substance into charged fragments to identify it.
Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 2021 John Doe (DNASolves – 6/09/26)
On October 17, 2021, partial skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found in a desert area near Gold Canyon, Arizona, about one mile from US Highway 60 and one mile from the Arizona Renaissance Festival property. The Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating.
The remains consisted of a skull, mandible, and skull fragments. Clothing and footwear were recovered nearby. Investigators determined the remains likely belonged to an adult male, but no identification was found and because of the condition of the remains, there was no way to identify the individual.
Despite investigative efforts, the person could not be identified and became known as Pinal County John Doe (2021). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP85421.
In 2024, the Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the person. A DNASolves® crowdfund was established to cover Othram’s casework costs; we are grateful to those who donated. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the person. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the person. This investigation led to the positive identification of the person, who is now known to be Thomas Kryger. He was 62 years old.
Idaho State Police Forensic Services Contributes to a National Publication Advancing Forensic Genetic Genealogy (Idaho State Police – 6/10/26)
Idaho State Police Forensic Services (ISPFS) continues to play a leading role in advancing forensic science nationwide through its work with the National Technology Validation and Implementation Collaborative (NTVIC).
ISPFS is a founding member and currently serves as chair of the NTVIC, a national collaborative comprising hundreds of forensic science professionals who evaluate, validate, and implement emerging technologies in forensic laboratories and law enforcement agencies. Through volunteer-led working groups, task groups, and technical committees, the organization helps accelerate the responsible adoption of new scientific tools and methodologies nationwide.
One of NTVIC’s most significant initiatives has been advancing Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG), an emerging investigative technique that combines forensic DNA analysis with genealogical research to generate leads in criminal investigations. FIGG has become an increasingly valuable tool for identifying unknown individuals and helping resolve violent crimes and cold cases.
As part of that effort, ISPFS contributed significantly to a recently published peer-reviewed article titled NTVIC Hiring Qualified FIGG Practitioners: Recommendations for Forensic Science and Law Enforcement Agencies, published in the May 2026 edition of FSI-Synergy. The publication provides guidance and recommendations for agencies seeking to establish or expand public sector forensic genetic genealogy programs.
Laramie County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1988 Baby Doe (DNASolves – 6/10/26)
In February of 1988, a couple walking in Cheyenne, Wyoming discovered a deceased infant in a culvert near Happy Jack Road and McKinney Drive. They immediately notified law enforcement and an investigation began. Investigators reported that the the baby boy was 6.5 lbs at the time of discovery and was described as Caucasian with brown hair, and blue eyes. The baby was found wrapped in a blanket.
An autopsy revealed that the child was fully developed and had been born alive. Ruling the death a homicide, law enforcement investigators thoroughly pursued all available leads hoping to identify the infant or his family. Detectives canvassed regional hospitals, schools and the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base seeking information about a mother who had recently given birth and lacked a living child, or any report of a missing infant. The canvassing produced no leads, and no person was found to be missing an infant matching the description
Details of the case were entered into NamUs as UP10781, and it was cold for thirty-three years, when in 2021, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office submitted evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists worked to extract DNA from the evidence which was used in Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a DNA profile for the infant. A DNASolves® crowdfund was established to raise the funds necessary for Othram’s casework costs. We are grateful to those who donated to this case.
Othram’s forensic genetic genealogy team then used the DNA profile in a forensic search that yielded new leads in the case. Othram’s genealogists worked to identify and evaluate potential familial connections, build and verify family trees, and pursue leads generated through genetic analysis.
These leads enabled law enforcement to conduct a follow-up investigation, which lead them to potential relatives of the infant. Investigators have now identified the infant’s mother as 57-year-old Eva Martinez of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Martinez has been arrested and is charged with first-degree homicide in connection with the death of the infant.
Decades-Long Investigation Identifies Human Remains Found in Olympic National Park (National Park Service – 6/10/26)
Human remains discovered in Olympic National Park in 2000 have been identified as Joseph Louis Serrao Jr. Following a decades-long collaborative investigative effort that included the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office and advanced genetic testing and analysis conducted by Othram, a laboratory specializing in forensic genealogy.
In July 2000, a researcher discovered skeletal remains inside a sleeping bag in a tent in a remote area of the Sol Duc River drainage in Olympic National Park and notified authorities.
The remains were transported to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, where a pathologist determined the decedent was likely a man between 30 and 50 years old and had been deceased for six months to four years. Despite investigative efforts, his identity remained unknown.
Items recovered from the tent were processed by the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory, but investigators were unable to develop usable latent fingerprints.
In 2024, a forensic anthropologist with the King County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted a DNA sample from the decedent to Othram. The testing analyzed a broad range of DNA markers to identify potential relatives and generate investigative leads. By 2025, the laboratory had identified possible family connections.
“This case remained unresolved for nearly 30 years, but investigators never lost sight of the goal of identifying this individual and finding answers for his family,” said Debra Flowers deputy chief of the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch. “I’m proud of the persistence and collaboration that made this identification possible, and I hope it brings some measure of closure to those who have spent so many years wondering what happened to Joseph.”
The National Park Service Investigative Services Branch then contacted relatives in several states, including Hawaii, and coordinated interviews and the collection of reference DNA samples for comparison.
King County Medical Examiner’s Office and National Park Service Team with Othram to Identify 2000 John Doe (DNASolves – 6/10/26)
Authorities in the Permian Basin have now identified the man they believe violently raped a 49-year-old woman in a mall parking lot in Midland almost 30 years ago. Last month, James Lee Woodard, now 61, was arrested in Big Spring and charged with aggravated sexual assault.
On Sept. 1, 1997, Midland Police Department officers responded to the Midland Park Mall after a woman reported being sexually assaulted in the parking lot. The woman was taking out trash when an unidentified man grabbed her, threatened her with a box cutter and forced her into a light-colored van. She was driven around the area by another suspect as the assault took place, and was eventually let out of the van.
Over the years, investigators interviewed several witnesses, reviewed tips from the community and submitted DNA collected from evidence into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)—but no one was ever arrested. In 2001, the Midland District Attorney’s Office presented this case to the 142nd District Court Grand Jury, which issued an indictment of the DNA profile for aggravated sexual assault—nullifying the statute of limitations on this case.
Then, in March 2023, the Texas Rangers, in coordination with the Midland Police Department, identified this case for the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) program, and evidence from this case was resubmitted for advanced DNA testing and genealogy research through Bode Technology.
DNA Doe Project Identifies Woman Murdered in Minnesota in 1993 (Forensic – 6/11/26)
For more than three decades, investigators have searched for the identity of a woman whose remains were discovered in two separate Minnesota lakes. Today, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the DNA Doe Project announce that she has finally been identified as 27-year-old Denise Elaine Hartley. Hartley, a native of Ohio, had moved from Columbus to St. Paul shortly before her disappearance.
On June 12, 1993, the head of a woman was discovered floating near the shore of Bone Lake in New Scandia Township, Minnesota. Shortly afterwards, a foot was located on the bank of Pig’s Eye Lake, approximately 20 miles southwest in St. Paul. Forensic analysis confirmed that these remains belonged to the same individual – a Caucasian woman estimated to be between 30 and 65 years old, with dark brown spiky hair, brown eyes, and triple-pierced ears.
With no clues as to her identity, she became known as Bone Lake Jane Doe. Decades later, the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office brought the case to the DNA Doe Project, a non-profit whose expert investigative genetic genealogists work pro bono to identify John and Jane Does. While a separate genealogy team had spent five years working the case, the woman’s identity had remained elusive. A DNA profile was subsequently generated by Tetracore, Inc., who also provided their services pro bono, and by February 2026 the case was ready to launch.
The case launch took place in person at a gathering in Utah, and the team began to make headway immediately. Having deduced that the unidentified woman had deep roots in Ohio, the team focused on a Columbus couple who had 15 children – the youngest of whom was Denise. Just five days after the case launch, the team made a crucial discovery: a social media post stating that Denise “went missing around 1993.”
Shortly afterwards, the DNA Doe Project presented Denise as a candidate to their agency partners. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office, Denise’s identity was officially confirmed a few months later.