Summary
In November 1991, the skeletal remains of an unidentified man were discovered on a blanket near a pond in Whiteville, North Carolina. The discovery was made by a group of hunters alongside an unpaved rural road. The unknown man was believed to be between the ages of 18 and 39, and stood between 5’7” and 5’9” tall. No conclusive determinations were made about the man’s weight, hair color, eye color, or geographical ancestry. The man’s cause of death could also not be determined.
Over the more than 30 years since the discovery of the unknown man's remains, investigators have diligently pursued all leads in the case. In September 2019, the case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as case number #UP60202. Despite their exhaustive efforts, the man’s identity has remained a mystery. With few leads for investigators to pursue, the case eventually went cold.
In 2022, the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office and the NC Unidentified Project partnered with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help establish an identity for the man. The investigation continues as Othram begins to build a comprehensive genealogical profile for the man.
Anyone with information that could aid in this investigation is encouraged to contact the Columbus County Sheriff's Office by calling 910-642-6551 and referencing agency case #91-1134. A DNASolves crowdfund has been created to raise funds for the remaining casework costs and anyone can contribute here.
Michael Vogen
Director of Case Management
Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.