Summary
In March 1981, the body of an unidentified man was discovered near 12th and Stanley Streets in Detroit, Michigan. The man’s badly burned body was found near railroad tracks and his manner of death was determined to be homicide. It was determined that the remains were that of a Black male who was between the ages of 25 and 35 years. The man’s height was estimated to be 5’8” to 6’0” and his weight was estimated to be between 135 and160 pounds. The man had short curly hair that was dyed red. The man could not be identified and details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP12042.
A forensic composite depicting how the man may have looked during his life was developed and released to the public in hopes that it would assist with his identification. Using traditional DNA testing, a DNA profile was developed and uploaded to CODIS, but there was no match to a known individual. Despite the efforts of investigators, the man could not be identified and the case was cold for nearly five decades.
In January 2023, the Detroit Police Department teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy could help generate new leads and assist with identifying the unknown man. 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. Upon completion of the process, the DNA profile was transferred to the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team for the development of new leads about the man’s identity.
Using these new leads, a follow-up investigation was launched leading to potential family members of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the identification of the man as Jerry Tate, who was born in February of 1948.
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 Jerry Tate represents the 13th case in the State of Michigan where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Visit DNASolves to learn about other Michigan cases.
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.