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

After seven years, a man, whose remains were discovered in a Louisiana marsh, has been identified as 67-year-old Gary A. Maggio of Slidell, Louisiana.
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Published November 07 by Michael Vogen
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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.

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.