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!
King County Medical Examiner’s Office and Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office Team with Othram to Identify a 2021 John Doe (DNASolves – 9/05/2025)
In April 2021, the skull of an unknown individual was found by tree planters in a wooded area near Cougar, in Cowlitz County, Washington. Several law enforcement agencies responded, including the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, and began investigating. The skull appeared to have two entrance and two exit bullet holes. The Sheriff’s Office organized a search of the area with Cowlitz County Search and Rescue. With the aid of cadaver dogs, a femur was located. However, they did not find identification or clues that the could be used used to identify the person.
The King County Medical Examiners Office analyzed the skull and confirmed the bullet holes. The remains were also determined to likely belong to a white man of unknown age. A traditional STR DNA profile was developed for comparison to missing persons and entered into CODIS, but no matches were returned. Officials also released a forensic sketch of what the man may have looked like to encourage the public to come forward with information about the person, but there were still no credible leads and the case went cold. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP84823.
In 2025, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. 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 man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used the DNA profile to generate new leads in the case, including a potential family member.
Critical funding to enable forensic genetic genealogy testing in this case was made possible by Governor Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown, and the Washington State Legislature. We are so grateful for their support in providing this funding.
The news leads in the case led to a family member, who agreed to submit a familial reference DNA sample. This testing helped confirm that the unknown person was Anthony Matthew Croy, born on December 4, 1973. Croy has apparently been missing from Portland, Oregon since September 1995. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death is ongoing. The area were the remains were found, in Cougar, Washington, is about 60 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon.
Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 2016 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 9/05/2025)
In April 2025, partial skeletal remains belonging to an unidentified individual were found at 28th & Vine in Kansas City, Missouri. Law enforcement agencies responded to the scene and recognized that the discovery site was an area where the remains of a murdered man had been found in 2016. The investigation led officials to believe that the remains found in 2025 possibly belonged to the homicide victim found in 2016.
In May 2025, the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas for advanced DNA testing to determine if the remains belonged to the 2016 homicide victim or another individual. 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.
A reference DNA sample was collected and compared to the DNA profile of the remains using KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing. This comparison led to the positive identification of the person, who is now known to be Ezekiel Willie. Willie was born May 14, 1991. His remains were previously identified in 2016.
Arkansas State Police Teams with Othram to Identify a 1977 John Doe (DNASolves – 9/05/2025)
In January 1977, the partial skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found in Lee County, Arkansas. Lee County is a rural area along the Mississippi River on the east side of Arkansas and is near Tunica, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee. Several law enforcement agencies responded to the scene and began collecting evidence and investigating. The remains were determined to belong to a man, likely between 16 and 30 years old, who likely died between 1972 and 1977. Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and became known as Lee County John Doe (1977). In May 2009, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP5181.
In 2024, the Arkansas State Police submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. 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 man. 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 man. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Charles Howard Wallace. If he had been alive when his remains were found, he would have been around 21 years old. Arkansas State Police officials said the last contact Wallace’s family had with him was in the fall of 1974 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was in his late teens when he disappeared and had been seeking treatment at a halfway house in downtown Memphis.
Idaho Killer Left Behind ‘Catastrophic’ Evidence that Fast-tracked His Capture, Investigators Reveal (FOX News – 9/05/2025)
Genetic genealogists working on the University of Idaho student murders case found “hundreds of times” more DNA than a typical case as they raced to solve the quadruple stabbing, which rocked the college town of Moscow, Idaho, as well as the nation as a whole.
“It was a catastrophic deal,” said David Mittelman, the Othram founder and CEO whose work generated leads that helped authorities track Kohberger from a DNA sample he left on a Ka-Bar knife sheath discarded at the crime scene. “That’s why the defense didn’t want to talk about it.”
Not only did police recover plenty of DNA to work with, it allowed Othram’s investigators to hone in on Kohberger’s family tree almost immediately.
Final Victim of the Bear Brook Murders Identified After 25 Years (DNA Doe Project – 9/07/2025)
It’s one of the most well-known Doe cases in the United States, and one that has haunted amateur sleuths, podcasters, and the public for more than two decades. Now, the DNA Doe Project has determined the identity of the little girl found in a barrel in Bear Brook State Park in 2000. Her name was Rea Rasmussen, daughter of Terry Rasmussen and Pepper Reed. Terry Rasmussen, a serial killer believed to be responsible for the Bear Brook murders, may have also murdered Pepper Reed, who went missing in the late 1970s.
In the year 2000, the bodies of two young girls were found in a barrel in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire. Fifteen years prior to this, the bodies of a woman and a girl had been discovered in a separate barrel nearby. It was later determined that all four of them had been murdered and their bodies left in the park sometime around 1980. None of these individuals could be identified and the case became known as the Bear Brook murders.
Beginning in 2017, the mystery began to unravel. DNA testing proved that one of the girls was the daughter of Terry Rasmussen, a convicted murderer who had died in prison in 2011. Having established this link, investigators determined that Rasmussen was responsible for the Bear Brook murders. Two years later, three of the victims were identified – the woman was Marlyse Honeychurch and the oldest and youngest girls were her daughters Marie Vaughn and Sarah McWaters. But the identity of Rasmussen’s daughter, ‘The Middle Child’, remained unknown.
Firebird Forensics worked tirelessly on this case for years before the New Hampshire State Police brought it to the DNA Doe Project in January 2024. Updated bioinformatics produced a new DNA profile for the unidentified girl, which showed that she was solely of European descent and provided an updated list of DNA matches that researchers used to build her family tree.
A team of expert investigative genetic genealogists was assigned to the case but their research was complicated by a lack of DNA matches and a number of misattributed parentage events. As a result, they had to build family trees many generations back in time to make connections, ultimately amassing a tree containing 25,000 people. Eventually, they were able to identify a couple born in the 1780s as likely ancestors of the Jane Doe, and building out their descendants led to a family of interest.
A 2005 obituary for one of the great great great granddaughters of the couple stated that she was survived by a daughter called Pepper Reed, but further research indicated that Pepper had disappeared from the records in the 1970s. Pepper was born in 1952 and was from Houston, where Terry Rasmussen was known to be living in the 1970s. The team then found additional connections between Pepper’s ancestors and the unidentified girl’s DNA matches, which confirmed that Pepper Reed had to be the mother of Jane Doe.
“To figure out the identity of our Jane Doe, we first had to find her mother”, said team leader Matthew Waterfield. “It took us almost 18 months to identify Pepper Reed, but once we knew her name, it led us right to her daughter.”
Within half an hour of identifying Pepper Reed as the child’s mother, the team made a shocking discovery. They found a birth record for a girl named Rea Rasmussen in Orange County, California in 1976 – to a mother with the maiden name of Reed. There were hundreds of girls with the surname Rasmussen born in the late 1970s in California alone, but with the Reed connection now known, a member of the team drove to Orange County to retrieve a copy of the birth certificate. This certificate listed Rea’s parents as Terry Rasmussen and Pepper Reed, proving that the girl known for 25 years as ‘The Middle Child’ was in fact Rea Rasmussen.
“Due to her young age and life circumstances, we were prepared for the possibility of only being able to identify her mother,” said investigative genetic genealogist Jeana Feehery. “Returning both Pepper and Rea’s names to them, their families, and the greater community is the best possible outcome we could have hoped for.”
Cobb County Medical Examiner, Police Department, and the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Team with Othram to Identify a 1984 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 9/07/2025)
In May 1984, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found in a wooded area near the Chattahoochee River in southwest Cobb County, Georgia. A man walking near the edge of his property found the remains. Several law enforcement agencies responded to investigate and search the surrounding area for more evidence. The remains appeared to be a partially clothed adult woman with brown hair.
The Cobb County Medical Examiner determined that woman was between the ages of 18 and 25; she stood 5’0″ to 5’4″ tall and weighed between 105 and 115 pounds. At some point in her life, the woman underwent reconstructive surgery on the right side of her face to repair a fractured maxilla and a crushed orbital bone. She also had metal pins in her left ankle. The medical examiner estimated that she had died at least three months prior to her remains being found.
The woman was found with a synthetic auburn wig and several pieces of clothing including a western-style long sleeve blouse with ruffles on the front, a light blue t-shirt with a Playboy bunny on the front. Investigators also found a pair of blue jeans and a single light-colored knee-high sock with blue and brown stripes and two size 8 boots, that were light-colored western-style with a thick fleece lining. Her left boot had a metal plate inside. Also found was a men’s brown “Rich’s” brand corduroy coat, a work shirt with an embroidered name patch that read George and the company name, “Doug Hyde Unlimited.” In the shirt pocket, investigators also found a pack of Camel light cigarettes and a small manila envelope, measuring 2 inches by 1 inch containing two hand-rolled butts. No jewelry or other belongings were found at the scene.
In 2011, a traditional STR DNA profile was developed for comparison to missing persons and entered into CODIS, but no matches were returned. Officials also had a facial reconstruction expert create a 3-D model of what the woman may have looked like when she was alive and distributed it to media. Despite an intensive years-long investigation, the woman could not be identified and she became known as Cobb County Jane Doe (1984). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP10724 in October 2012.
A decade later, in 2022, the Cobb County Medical Examiner, the Cobb County Police Department and the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the woman. 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 woman. 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 woman. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified woman. This investigation led to the positive identification of the woman, who is now known to be Veronica Jane Miller, born on November 10, 1963.
Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 2021 Homicide Victim (DNASolves – 9/08/2025)
In August 2021, a property owner in Dolan Springs, Arizona was breaking up a concrete slab in his yard when he found human remains underneath. Several law enforcement agencies responded and began investigating. The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, working with the Department of Anthropology at the University of Tucson, identified the victim as a White or Hispanic male, over the age of 40, between 5’7” and 5’9” tall. The man was believed to have been buried at the location for at least 10 years and his cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head. The man’s death was ruled a homicide.
Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP87897. Despite an extensive investigation, the man could not be identified and he became known as Mohave County John Doe (2021).
In 2022, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. 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 homicide victim. 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.
During the investigation, Sheriff’s investigators received a tip from a woman indicating she might have information on the identity of the man. Mohave County Sheriff’s Office investigators contacted the woman, who reported that her parents had lived on North Drive, the same street as where the man’s body was discovered. She recalled that a man by the name of Chett Williams had been living with her parents around 1998-1999 and had suddenly disappeared. When she asked her parents about Chett, they said he had left abruptly, which the woman thought to be odd as all of his personal belongings were left behind. The woman also said that shortly after Chett’s disappearance, her parents poured a slab of concrete at the location.
Investigators provided this information to Othram whose genealogist located potential relatives of Chett Williams who lived on the East Coast of the U.S. They were contacted and verified that Williams had gone to Arizona to live with a woman by the name of Bea Hamilton. A family reference sample was obtained from a likely relative and provided to Othram so that it could be compared to the victim using KinSNP Rapid Relationship Testing®. This investigation led the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office to identify the 2021 homicide victim as Chester G. Williams III, also known as Chett Williams, born in 1947.
Investigators checked property records and found that the parents of the woman who provided the tip were Bea and Alvin Hamilton, owners of the property where the man was buried and found in 2021. It was also learned that a man identified as Chett G. Williams, had used that address as his residence location. No records of Williams could be found after 1999. Alvin Hamilton died in 2006 and Bea Hamilton died in 2018.
Iowa Department of Public Safety and Iowa City Police Department Team with Othram to Identify a 1992 Baby John Doe (DNASolves – 9/09/2025)
In December 1992, the unidentified remains of an infant were found by workers who were moving garbage in an Iowa City, Iowa landfill. The Iowa City Police Department responded and began investigating. Investigators determined that the baby was a White male with brown hair and blue eyes. The baby’s umbilical cord was still attached and it had not been tied. The baby’s placenta was also found nearby. Investigators believe the newborn died 12 to 72 hours before he was found. Despite an extensive investigation by law enforcement, the newborn baby’s parents could not be identified. The infant became known as Johnson County John Doe (1992) and details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP117622.
In 2021, the Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Iowa City Police Department partnered with Othram in The Woodlands, Texas, to see if advanced DNA testing could help identify the infant. Investigators submitted paraffin-embedded tissue samples, an especially challenging source for DNA testing since chemical fixatives like formaldehyde often damage DNA, create crosslinks, and make DNA testing difficult. Using a specialized process developed at Othram, scientists were able to recover and generate a DNA extract from the remains. With Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®, they produced a comprehensive DNA profile for the infant, which was then used in a forensic genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads about the infant’s identity.
A follow-up investigation was launched, which led investigators to a potential parent of the infant. It is now know that Johnson County John Doe was the child of 58-year-old Cindy Sue Elder, formerly known as Cindy Sue Eckrich. Elder was 26 years old when the child’s body was found in the Iowa City landfill. She has been arrested on a charge of first-degree murder.
In February 2022, Elder was discovered to be living in Clever, Missouri, according to the Iowa City Police. Investigators spoke with Elder, who admitted to giving birth while living in an Iowa City residence. Elder told police the baby was born alive and it was determined that her actions caused the baby’s death. Elder placed the newborn in a plastic sack and deposited it in a trash receptacle in Coralville. The father of the child told police he was unaware Elder was ever pregnant or that she had given birth to a child, which was confirmed by Elder directly.
St. Louis City Medical Examiner Teams with Othram to Identify River des Peres John Doe (DNASolves – 9/09/2025)
In July 2020, the remains of an unknown individual were seen floating in Deer Creek, near Kirkham Avenue which is located in Webster Groves, Missouri. Webster Groves is a suburb just west of downtown St. Louis. Several law enforcement agencies responded, including the Webster Groves Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Louis City Medical Examiner. The person’s body was recovered by the St. Louis Fire Department from the River Des Peres near Wabash Avenue in the City of St. Louis.
Investigators determined that the unknown person was a White male who stood 5’11” tall and weighed 225 pounds. The man was bald and wore tan cargo shorts and a belt at the time when his body was recovered. The man’s manner of death was unclear at the time of his discovery and is still pending. In September 2020, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP73539. Local media outlets distributed details about the case in hopes that it would generate leads about the man’s identity. Despite extensive efforts to identify the man, no leads yielded a match and the man’s identity remained a mystery.
In 2023, the St. Louis City Medical Examiner submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. 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 man. 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 man. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man who is now known to be Jeremy Blair Clemons. His death has not been ruled a homicide, but it is considered a suspicious death.
Responding to 9/11: A Crime Scene Tech’s POV (Forensic- 9/10/2025)
Twenty-four years ago, I was part of a team that responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center. While that morning has shaped almost every aspect of my life since, I rarely talk about it. Last year I was persuaded to submit a brief piece for the AAFS news to highlight the perils forensic providers face by their constant exposure to the trauma of others. It was uncomfortable, but I’m starting to realize it is important for others to understand both the horrors and the heroism that occurred on that unseasonably warm fall morning.
Cold Case Awareness Month: Texas Arrest Underscores Importance of DNA Innovation (Forensic- 9/10/2025)
This September, during Cold Case Awareness Month, we are reminded of the importance of never giving up on unsolved cases. Each case represents a person, a family, and a community still waiting for justice. A recent arrest in La Salle County, Texas, underscores how advances in DNA testing and steadfast investigative work can help bring answers and a chance at justice—no matter how much time has passed.
Moxxy IDs 1992 Jane Doe, Case is Ongoing (Forensic- 9/10/2025)
Moxxy Forensic Investigations, in partnership with the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, is honored to announce the successful identification of Harris County Jane Doe (1992) as Joann Zamora, born Aug. 27, 1963.
Joann’s remains were discovered on September 8, 1992, by a passerby in a wooded area of Harris County, Texas. At the time, she was described as a white/Caucasian female between the ages of 20–30, approximately 5’1″ tall, with brown hair about 8 inches in length. She suffered from scoliosis in her lower spine and had artificial upper front teeth secured with a temporary dental bridge. Despite efforts by law enforcement and forensic professionals at the time, her identity remained a mystery for over 30 years.
In 2024, Moxxy Forensic Investigations initiated an Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) effort on the case, made possible through a fully funded public crowdfunding campaign. The genealogy work officially began on December 5, 2024, with generous financial sponsorship from Criminal Coffee Co. Moxxy extends heartfelt thanks to Criminal Coffee Co. for their vital support in helping bring Joann back to her family.
Maryland State Police Open New Crime Lab (Forensic- 9/10/2025)
The new Berlin Barrack replaces aging infrastructure built in 1976 with a facility featuring expanded trooper briefing and classroom space, an improved vehicle maintenance garage, a secure sally port, and enhanced visibility from U.S. Route 50 in Worcester County. Berlin Barrack will also be home to an expanded forensic sciences laboratory.
The Forensic Sciences Division – Berlin, equipped with 21st century enhancements and cutting‑edge forensic capabilities, will upgrade the forensic services offered on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
In addition to the modernization of the Controlled Dangerous Substances Unit, which has served local citizens since 1991, on-site operations now also include the disciplines of Crime Scene, Latent Prints and Impressions, and Toxicology.
DNA Doe Project Identifies Jane Doe Found in South Carolina in 2011 (DNA Doe Project – 9/10/2025)
Fourteen years after her remains were discovered in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, a Jane Doe known as Ms. Startex has been identified as Jolene Lynn White. White was born in New York in 1976 but had been living in the nearby town of Cowpens when she disappeared in 2005, six years before her body was found.
On October 26, 2011, a group of teenagers searching for scrap metal found skeletal human remains in a wooded area along a highway in Startex, South Carolina. Authorities determined that the remains belonged to a 40-55 year-old Caucasian woman and investigators found evidence that she had been murdered before her body was hidden under debris.
In 2020, the Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office brought the case to the DNA Doe Project, whose expert volunteer investigative genetic genealogists work pro bono to identify Jane and John Does. A DNA profile was generated from the woman’s remains and uploaded to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA, but the team immediately ran into challenges. Ms. Startex only had distant DNA matches but it was obvious that she had roots in Puerto Rico, where endogamy can complicate genetic genealogy research.
“The genealogy in this case was very complex,” said team leader Rebecca Somerhalder. “Our team built out family trees for hundreds of Puerto Rican DNA matches, but figuring out how they were connected to Ms. Startex was tricky because they were all very distant relatives.”
Over years of research, the team on this case built out a family tree for the unidentified woman that grew to contain nearly 50,000 people. Then, in April 2025, a new DNA match appeared on FamilyTreeDNA. Before long, the team had identified the biological parents of Ms. Startex as a couple from Orange County, New York. The father, as expected, was originally from Puerto Rico, while the mother had deep roots in the area.
However, none of their known children were missing and it became clear that Ms. Startex must’ve been adopted. Investigators spoke with the family and discovered that, after the death of their mother, two of the children had been adopted by a family who later moved to South Carolina. Upon speaking with their adoptive family, they learned that one of them – Jolene Lynn White – had been missing for two decades. Follow up DNA testing confirmed that Jolene was, in fact, the woman formerly known only as Ms. Startex.
“This identification was only possible because of a dedicated and collaborative team,” said researcher Janel Daniels. “It also goes to show that one DNA match can make a huge difference – anyone who uploads their DNA to GEDmatch.com, DNAJustice.org or FamilyTreeDNA.com might help solve a cold case without even realizing.”
Longview Police Department Teams with Othram to Identify a 1998 Baby Jane Doe (DNASolves – 9/10/2025)
In June 1998, the remains of an unidentified infant were found near Fisher Lake in Longview, Texas, which is a city in Gregg County in northeast Texas. The Longview Police Department responded to the scene and found a newborn female infant in a trash bag who appeared to have been born healthy with evidence that she had been beaten to death, including injuries to her skull. Detectives began collecting evidence and opened a homicide investigation. Despite an exhaustive investigation, neither the baby nor the parents could be identified and the baby became known as Gregg County Baby Jane Doe (1998). She was buried at Grace Hill Cemetery in Longview. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP13675 in March 2015.
In May 2025, with funding provided by Project 525, the Longview Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the child. 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 newborn. 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.
This investigation led to the positive identification of the mother of the baby, who is now known to be Misty Marie Mitchell. Mitchell was interviewed by detectives and admitted to being the child’s mother. Mitchell has been charged with murder. The case remains under investigation and anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the Longview Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 903-237-1110.