Baytown Police Department & FBI Leverage Othram’s Forensic Sequencing Platform to Identify a 1992 Homicide Victim

Summary

In April 1992, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in the 700 block of Tri City Beach Road in Baytown, Texas. Baytown is a city just east of Houston. The Baytown Police Department responded to the scene. It was determined that the remains were that of a black male who was 5’9” tall, partially clothed, and covered in multiple sheets and blankets. The man was found lying face down in a concrete drainage ditch just south of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The man was determined to be between the ages of 25 and 45 years.

An autopsy was conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences on April 19, 1992. The death of the man was classified as a homicide. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP3851. Despite the extensive efforts of law enforcement investigators to identify the man, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of viable leads. In August 2021, the man’s remains were exhumed for further analysis.

In 2022, the Baytown Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas in hopes that advanced DNA testing could finally help to identify the man. 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 John Doe. After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to the FBI's forensic genetic genealogy team, who performed the research to generate new investigative leads in the case.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. After more than three decades, this investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Melvin McAfee of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. McAfee, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, was 41 years old when his remains were discovered in 1992.

Any information regarding this case is crucial to providing closure to Mr. McAfee's loved ones. Anyone with information is urged to contact Baytown Crime Stoppers. Your tip will remain anonymous. You can call the Baytown Police Department at 281-422-8371 or Baytown Crime Stoppers at (281) 427-TIPS (8477).

The identification of Melvin McAfee represents the 16th case in the State of Texas where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Most recently in Johnson County, Texas, Angel Baby Doe, was identified after more than two decades.