Summary

In December 2020, an unidentified male was found hanging from an exterior staircase attached to a medical clinic in Metairie, Louisiana, off Veterans Blvd. The cause of death was determined to be self-inflicted, and no suicide note or identifying documents were found on the decedent. The unidentified individual was a white male, estimated to be between 50 and 80 years old, standing between 5’8” and 6’0”, and weighing between 120 and 150 pounds. He had gray, wavy hair pulled back into a low ponytail, a gray mustache, and minimal body hair. His eyes were brown, and his face was recognizable at the time of discovery.

The case was entered into NamUs as UP80348, and his identity remained a mystery. Despite investigative efforts, the man remained unidentified for four years when in 2024, the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office partnered with Othram to apply advanced forensic DNA testing in hopes that the man could be identified. Evidence was submitted to Othram's lab in The Woodlands, Texas where scientists developed a DNA extract from the evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a profile compatible with forensic genetic genealogy analysis. The Othram team then worked to generate new leads for law enforcement to further their investigation.

Those leads led to likely family members, including the man's possible son, who identified the man through photo comparison, confirming the identity of the man as Bradley Steve Duvernet. Investigators Timothy Genevay and Heather Brown at the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office worked diligently to identify Bradley Duvernet, born in 1953.

A portion of the casework costs were paid by generous donors via a DNASolves crowdfund was established to help cover the costs of this critical work. Anyone can contribute to DNASolves to help solve cases like this. Your support can help bring closure to cases like this.

Remaining funding for the advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy used in this case was provided by NamUs, a national program that assists the criminal justice community with the investigation and resolution of missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons cases across the United States and its territories. NamUs is funded and administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and is managed through a contract with Research Triangle Institute International. We are grateful for the support of RTI, NamUs, and the NIJ.

The identification of Bradley Duvernet represents the fifth 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.