Summary

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.

Individuals who have taken a consumer DNA test can aid ongoing forensic investigations by joining the DNASolves database. Expanding the pool of available DNA data increases the likelihood of successful identifications, helping to reunite families with their missing loved ones and resolve cases that have remained unsolved for years.

The identification of Charles Wallace represents the 7th case in the State of Arkansas where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Visit DNASolves to learn about other Arkansas cases where your support can help bring long-awaited answers to families.