St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 2017 John Doe

Summary

In November 2017, the partial skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found in Slidell, Louisiana. The discovery was made by a hunter in the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge on the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain north of New Orleans. The St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office sent the man’s remains to the LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) Laboratory in hopes that a facial reconstruction could be developed. However, the skull was missing its mandible and without it, a proper reconstruction of the individual’s likeness could not be completed. LSU FACES was able to determine that the skull belonged to a White male who was at least 25 years old at the time of his death.

Traditional DNA testing was performed, allowing for the development of an STR profile that was entered into CODIS. There was no match to a known individual or close relative of the man. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP53947. Despite investigators’ attempts, the man’s identity could not be determined and the case went cold.

The St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office once again teamed with Othram in hopes that advanced DNA testing could help identify the man, whose remains were discovered nearly seven years prior. Previously, St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office worked with Othram to identify Pamela Lee Hupp, a homicide victim whose remains were discovered in 1986.

In 2024, forensic evidence was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram’s scientists successfully developed a DNA extract and then used Forensic Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man. This profile was used by Othram’s forensic genetic genealogy team in a genealogical search allowing for the development of new leads in the case.

These leads were provided to law enforcement, who located a potential relative of the man. In the course of the investigation, the relative confirmed that they had a missing relative in Louisiana. The relative then provided a DNA sample so that a comparison to the John Doe’s DNA profile could be made using Othram’s KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing. This investigation led to the identification of the man as Gary A. Maggio of Slidell, Louisiana. Maggio is believed to have been 67 years old at the time of his death. Gary, an avid outdoorsman, was born in 1949 and had not been heard from since 2016.

Anyone with information about Maggio’s last days or his death is asked to call St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office Cold Case Investigator Chris Knoblauch at 985-781-1150.

The identification of Gary A. Maggio represents the fourth case in the State of Louisiana where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. To read about other Louisiana cases, visit DNASolves.