Summary
In January 1999, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered off of State Route 46 and Interstate 65 in Columbus, Indiana. Columbus is located south of Indianapolis. The Columbus Police Department responded to the scene where they determined the remains were that of an adult White male. Standing at 6 feet tall, and weighing 270 pounds, the man was believed to be in his 50s or 60s. Two handguns were located by the man's body, and investigators determined that he had died from a single gunshot wound. Foul play was not involved.
Over the years, investigators made numerous attempts to identify the man, employing many different methods, including fingerprint analysis, asking for the public’s assistance in new releases, sending bulletins to regional law enforcement, and entering his descriptors into nationwide databases. The FBI developed a forensic sketch depicting how the the man looked during his life, which was released to the public. In 2013, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP11377. Despite investigators' attempts, none of these things led to the man’s identity. 
In an effort to finally identify the John Doe, the Columbus Police Department, working in conjunction with the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office, teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to generate new leads in the case. In 2023, forensic evidence was submitted to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the evidence, and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive genealogical profile for the unknown man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile to conduct genetic genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
These leads took investigators to north-central Ohio, where a possible family member of the man was interviewed. The family member -- now known to be the man's nephew -- was able to identify John Doe when shown the FBI's composite sketch. To confirm the man's identity, his nephew provided a DNA sample for comparison testing using Othram's KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing.
After a quarter of a century, Columbus County John Doe is now known to be Leo Michael Murray. Murray, a resident of Ohio, was 61 years old at the time of his death. He was never married and had no children. Murray disappeared prior to his death, telling his family that he was moving to Florida. Because of this, his family never reported him missing.
A portion of funding for the advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy used in this case was provided by law enforcement with the remaining funds provided by NamUs, a national clearinghouse 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 (RTI). Othram is grateful for the support of RTI, NamUs, and the NIJ.
Leo Michael Murray's identification represents the tenth case in the State of Indiana where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. To read about other cases in Indiana that have been solved, visit DNASolves.
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.