Palos Heights Police Department Teams with Othram to Identify a 2022 Doe

Investigators are working to identify an individual whose remains were discovered inside of a bag located under an overpass in Palos Heights, Illinois.

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Published July 31 by Michael Vogen
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Summary

In December 2022, officers from the Palos Heights Police Department were dispatched to a bike path to the east of the Southwest Highway overpass. This overpass is in Palos Heights, which is a southwestern suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Police discovered the partial skeletal remains of an unidentified individual inside a plastic bag that was hanging in the branches of a tree. There was another bag filled with asphalt and rocks also inside of the bag.

At the time of the discovery of the remains, there were no other identifying characteristics that could help further the investigation and identify the person to whom the remains belong. The skeletal remains were collected and submitted to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office for an anthropologist to review.

After the remains were recovered, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP99513. Despite investigators' work to identify the individual, their identity remains a mystery.

In 2024, the Palos Heights Police Department partnered with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing can help identify the individual. Anyone with information that could aid in the investigation is encouraged to contact the Palos Heights Police Department by calling 708-448-5060 and referencing agency case number ME2022-10385.

A DNASolves crowdfund has been established to cover the casework costs. Anyone can contribute here.

Contribute Now Your contributions pay for lab supplies and research tools
Michael Vogen

Michael Vogen

Director of Case Management

832-906-4247
2829 Technology Forest Blvd Suite 100, The Woodlands, Texas 77381
media@othram.com

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.

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About Othram Inc.

Othram is the world’s first private DNA laboratory built specifically to apply the power of modern parallel sequencing to forensic evidence. Othram’s scientists are experts at ... Read morerecovery, enrichment, and analysis of human DNA from trace quantities of degraded or contaminated materials. Founded in 2018, and located in The Woodlands, Texas, our team works with academic researchers, forensic scientists, medical examiners, and law enforcement agencies to achieve results when other approaches have failed. Follow Othram on Twitter @OthramTech or visit Othram.com to learn how we can help you with your case. With dnasolves.com anyone can make a difference and help solve the next cold case.