Summary
On December 27, 2024, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found by a gold panner in the Arapahoe Bar Gold Panning Park of Wheat Ridge, Colorado. The Wheat Ridge Police Department and the Jefferson County Coroner's Office responded and opened an investigation and began collecting evidence. Investigators determined the remains belonged to an adult White man, who stood between 5' 4" and 6' 2" and was likely between the ages of 50 to 70 years old. He was estimated to have died between 2021 to 2023.
Despite an extensive investigation by authorities, including several public outreach campaigns and working with a forensic sculptor to create a reconstruction of the man’s face based on the remains, the man could not be identified. He became known as Jefferson County John Doe (2024). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP140606.
The Jefferson County Coroner's Office has now teamed with with Othram to leverage the company's identity inference process, which enables investigators to identify individuals from DNA evidence, even when there is no known reference sample to initially compare against. At Othram, scientists will work to develop a comprehensive SNP profile using Forensic Grade Genome Sequencing® to enable a forensic genetic genealogy search.
A DNASolves® crowdfund has been established to help cover the costs of this critical work. Anyone can contribute here.
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.