MS Medical Examiner's Office, Biloxi PD, and Harrison County Coroner's Office Team with Othram to Identify 2019 John Doe

Unidentified human remains found on the roof top of an abandoned building in Biloxi, Mississippi are now known to be Gary Lee White from Jackson, Mississippi.
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Published July 20 by Michael Vogen
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Summary

In September 2019, human remains were found on the roof of a building in downtown Biloxi, Mississippi, near the 800 block of Barthes Street. The building was abandoned and had been unoccupied for at least 15 years. There were no clues to the unknown person’s identity and investigators could not find a missing person record that matched what they knew about the remains. In March 2021, the case was entered into NamUs as UP78458.

In August 2021, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office, Biloxi Police Department, and Harrison County Coroner’s Office teamed with Othram to use Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to help generate new leads that might identify the unknown man or his next of kin. Othram built a genealogical profile from the skeletal remains sent by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office. Carla Davis, Mississippi native and genealogist, performed the genealogical research.

Investigative leads were passed back to law enforcement and an additional investigation by Biloxi investigators confirmed that the identity of the unknown man, found on the roof, was Gary Lee White, from Jackson, Mississippi. He was born August 29th, 1952. At the time of his discovery in 2019, he would have been 67 years old.

The cause of death remains unclear, and an investigation continues into the circumstances of his death.

Help fund another case Your contributions pay for lab supplies and research tools

Michael Vogen

Michael Vogen

Director of Case Management

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.