Summary
In December 2024, a woman walking her dog on her property found skeletal remains, including a human skull, near County Road 1190 near West Leatherwood Creek, southwest of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The Carroll County Sheriff's Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. The Arkansas State Police also joined the investigation.
The remains were examined and it was determined that the remains were that of an adult White man. Despite the extensive efforts of law enforcement, the man’s identity has remained a mystery. With few leads for investigators to pursue, the case went cold and details of the case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP149790 in September of 2025.
Recently, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office and Arkansas State Police partnered with Othram to determine if advanced forensic DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy can help to identify the man. Othram scientists will extract DNA from the forensic evidence and use Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile suitable for forensic genetic genealogical research. Othram's forensic genetic genealogy team will work to develop new leads in the case.
The Carroll County Sheriff's Office has contributed a portion of the necessary funds for this case, and a DNASolves® crowdfunding campaign has been established to help cover the costs of this critical work. Anyone can contribute here.
Additionally, if you have taken a consumer DNA test, you can contribute by opting into forensic genetic genealogy matching to assist in solving this case and others like it.
Dan Miller
Director of Customer Service
Dan guides law enforcement agencies across the United States and internationally through every step of the forensic process—from crime scene to courtroom. He ensures investigators have the support and resources they need to navigate advanced DNA testing and maximize the impact of forensic evidence in their cases.