Snohomish County Sheriff and Medical Examiner's Offices Partner with Othram to Identify McCollum Park John Doe

The unidentified man was discovered last year, in a shallow grave, near McCollum Park
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Published August 19 by Michael Vogen
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Summary

In September 2020, a man living in a homeless camp in McCollum Park ventured out to dig a hole to bury his trash. While digging the hole, the man discovered what he described as a "large bone". Although hesitant at first, the man finally reported the skeletal remains to law enforcement. Investigators, acting on this tip, performed an excavation of the area and found more remains, including a male human skull.

The unidentified man stood between 5'3" and 5'9" and was likely between the ages of 20-40. Investigators suspect that he was possibly Native American, Asian, Hispanic or mixed race. Analysis of the unidentified man's teeth showed he had an "overjet", a dental feature where the upper front teeth protrude outward. This "overjet" can also be referred to as "buck teeth". The man also had "lip incompetence", which is characterized by an inability to keep the lips together at rest.

McCollum Park John Doe's death has been ruled a homicide by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office. An exhaustive search of the area revealed little evidence as to his identity or that of his killer. Details of the remains haven't been released, but an artist's rendering of what he potentially looked like has been released in the hopes that someone might recognize who this man is.

Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office has now partnered with Othram with the goal of using advanced forensic technology to identify this man or his family. Anyone that has information that could aid this investigation is encouraged to contact the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office at 425-438-6200. Please refer to medical exam case number 200927-87 or NamUs UP75023. A DNASolves fund has been created to cover the costs of testing for this case.

Help fund another case Your contributions pay for lab supplies and research tools

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.