Summary
In February 1994, the partial remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in Kane County, Utah near Big Water. Kane County is a sparsely populated area located on the Utah state line, bordering Arizona to the south. Hikers discovered a human skull in a rugged area approximately one-quarter-mile south of State Road 89 and alerted authorities. It was determined that the remains were that of a White male, who was estimated to be 6’0” tall and between the ages of 30 and 55 years. The man could not be identified and was referred to as “Kane County John Doe.”
Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons (NamUs) database as UP8514. While traditional DNA testing was performed, there was no match to a known individual. A forensic reconstruction depicting how the man may have looked during his life was developed and images were released to the public in hopes that it would generate leads about his identity. Despite investigators’ attempts, the man was unidentified for three decades.
Using funding provided by the Utah Department of Public Safety, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office teamed with Othram in hopes of identifying the man through the use of advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy. In 2024, forensic evidence was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement. These new leads fueled a follow-up investigation into the man’s identity.
The follow-up investigation led to potential relatives of the man. A DNA sample was provided by a potential relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unknown man using KinsSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing. This investigation confirmed the identity of the man, who is now known to be James Howard Conklin, who was born in 1950. Investigators believe that Conklin died sometime after May of 1988. Prior to his death, he had been seen in the Flagstaff, Arizona area.
Anyone with information about James Conklin or the circumstances leading up to his death is asked to contact the Kane County Sheriff’s Office at 435-644-2349 or via email at comm@kane.utah.gov.
The identification of James Conklin represents the 5th publicly-announced case in the State of Utah where investigators used technology developed by Othram to identify an individual. To read about other cases in Utah, visit DNASolves.
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.