Summary

In August 2022, the remains of an unidentified individual were found at the base of a mountain/red rock hillside in Washington City, Utah. The Washington City Police Department responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. They determined the remains were a man but no identification was found. He was determined to have been between 25 and 35 years old, 5'5" to 5'11" tall and he was wearing size "L" pants, an XL-size hoodie with "PPG Pittsburgh Paints" logo on the front, socks and size 11 athletic shoes.

The Utah Office of the Medical Examiner later confirmed the cause of death as blunt force trauma consistent with a fall. A traditional STR DNA profile was developed for comparison to missing persons and entered into CODIS, but no matches were returned. Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and became known as Washington City John Doe (2022). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP101105.

With funding provided by the Utah Department of Public Safety, the Washington City Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas in 2025 where scientists determined that advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. At Othram, Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® was used to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man, including a possible parent living in Wisconsin. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man who is now known to be James "Jamie" Ashton Leek, born June 15, 1973. Family members reported that Jaime left Wisconsin in 2017, intending to relocate to Las Vegas. Jamie's family last had contact with him between 2021 and 2022.

Individuals who have taken a consumer DNA test can aid ongoing forensic investigations by joining the DNASolves database. Expanding the number of available DNA profiles increases the likelihood of successful identifications, helping to reunite families with their missing loved ones and resolve cases that have remained unsolved for years.

The identification of James Leek represents the 7th case in the State of Utah where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Visit DNASolves to learn about other Utah cases where your support can help bring long-awaited answers to families.