Summary

In June 2004, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found by an exterminator in a concrete coal bin in the basement of a house in East Lake, a neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama. The Birmingham Police Department responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. It was determined that the remains belonged to a male as young as 17 years old. The young man had been fatally shot in the back of the head. He was found wearing a "Coca-Cola" brand watch with a black, plastic band on his right wrist, a yellow gold chain around his neck, argyle socks and remnants of plaid fabric believed to be from pants.

Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and became known as Jefferson County John Doe (2004). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP14466.

In March 2023, the Jefferson County Medical Examiner's Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® 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 the medical examiner’s office.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the man's identification as Bryant Keith Bates, born on May 9, 1967.

Bryant Bates was a 21-year-old father of two when he went missing in November 1988. A friend told police he dropped Bryant off in the Kingston neighborhood about five miles from the residence where his remains were found 16 years later.

The investigation into the homicide of Bryant Bates continues. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Birmingham Police Department, Homicide Unit, at (205) 254-1764.

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

This case was funded as part of Othram's Project 525 initiative. Project 525, launched on May 23, 2024 in collaboration with RTI, the organization that manages the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) program, aims to bring resolution to five hundred twenty-five juvenile cases published in NamUs.

This is the 5th publicly announced case in the State of Alabama where officials leveraged Othram’s identity inference pipeline. Explore other cases on Othram’s website.