The Oak Ridge Police Department & Knox County Regional Forensic Center Partner With Othram to Identify Baby Wyatt

The yet-to-be-identified drowned infant was found in 2020
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Published September 16, 2021 by Michael Vogen
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Summary

In March 2020, a male infant was found by fishermen near the bank along the Melton Lake Greenway in Oak Ridge, TN, a part of the Knoxville Metropolitan area. Investigators described the infant as a 34-week-gestational-aged male. In addition, he appeared to have some some birth-related trauma to the right side of his head.

With no leads to his identity, the Oak Ridge Police Department named him "Baby Wyatt", meaning little warrior. The community came together to give him a funeral, and donated a wreath and a teddy bear. The details surrounding the case are not clear and in spite of pursuing all available leads, Baby Wyatt's true name remains unknown.

In 2021, the Oak Ridge Police Department and Knox County Regional Forensic Center parterned with Othram to use advanced forensic DNA testing to develop new investigative leads that might assist in identifying the infant or his family. Anyone with information that could aid this investigation is encouraged to contact the Oak Ridge Police Department at 865-425-4399 or via email at PoliceTips@OakRidgeTN.gov. A DNASolves fund has been established to cover the costs of testing for this case. The case has been logged in NamUs as #UP68097.

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Michael Vogen

Michael Vogen

Director of Case Management

832-906-4247
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.