Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office Teams with Othram to Identify a Young Boy Found in 2014

The young boy's skull was found in 2014 and initial analysis suggests the young boy was born between 2000-2004 and likely died between 2007-2012
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Published January 08 by Michael Vogen
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Summary

In January 2014, contractors working along a mid-central Mississippi creek discovered a skull in a drainage canal while clearing brush. The area was prone to flooding, which may explain why no other remains, aside from the skull, were recovered. Initial analysis suggested that the skull belonged to a young boy between 5 and 7 years old and that he had been deceased for several years before his discovery. His race and cause of death remain undetermined.

In the course of the investigation, his remains were not matched to any reported missing persons cases in the area. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office has teamed with Othram and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to determine if advanced DNA testing might help reveal more about the young boys identity. This case is logged in NamUs as #UP12994.

In January 2021, preliminary DNA test results from Othram now indicate that the young boy was African American and that he likely has relatives from the same general area in Mississippi in which the young boy's skull was found. NCMEC additionally coordinated isotope testing on the skeletal remains which suggests the young boy was born between 2000-2004 and likely died between 2007-2012.

Anyone that has information that might assist the case is encouraged to contact the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation at 1-601-987-1530.

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Michael Vogen

Michael Vogen

Director of Case Management

2829 Technology Forest Blvd Suite 100, The Woodlands, Texas 77381
media@othram.com

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.

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About Othram Inc.

Othram is the world’s first private DNA laboratory built specifically to apply the power of modern parallel sequencing to forensic evidence. Othram’s scientists are experts at ... Read morerecovery, enrichment, and analysis of human DNA from trace quantities of degraded or contaminated materials. Founded in 2018, and located in The Woodlands, Texas, our team works with academic researchers, forensic scientists, medical examiners, and law enforcement agencies to achieve results when other approaches have failed. Follow Othram on Twitter @OthramTech or visit Othram.com to learn how we can help you with your case. With dnasolves.com anyone can make a difference and help solve the next cold case.