Summary
In March 2023, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were discovered along the shore of the Great Salt Lake west of Farmington, Utah. The discovery was made during an invasive plant species control project on the lakebed, when a worker observed what he believed to be a human bone floating in the water. He then located other bones in the area. Utah’s Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere and lies in the northern part of the state. In recent years, the lake had fallen to record low depths due to years of sustained drought.
Investigators from the Davis County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) and the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner (OME) arrived at the scene and collected the remains, along with articles of clothing and a personal electronic device. It was determined that the remains were that of a male. Due to fluctuating water levels, multiple searches of the area by DCSO and the OME were conducted over a period of time. No other identifying characteristics could be determined, so the details were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP104003.
DCSO sought grant funding assistance from the Utah Department of Public Safety - State Bureau of Investigation to deploy cutting edge technology in the extraction of DNA from human remains. A DNA profile suitable for the FBI’s Combined DNA Indexing System (CODIS) profile was developed, but failed to produce any investigative leads. DCSO then teamed with Othram in hopes of identifying the man through the use of advanced DNA testing and investigative genetic genealogy.
In 2024 the forensic evidence was submitted to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram's laboratory, scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.
A follow-up investigation was conducted by DCSO leading to interviews with potential relatives of Davis County John Doe. A DNA sample was collected from a close relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unknown man. This investigation led to the positive identification of Davis County John Doe, now known to be Michael Wallace Gusta, born February 21, 1956. Mr. Wallace had been missing from a veterans home in Salt Lake City since September 2018 (NamUs #MP81845).
Funding for all of the advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy was provided by the Utah DPS Byrnes JAG Community Project Funding (CPF) Grant, 15PBJA-23-GG-00292-BRND advocated for by Utah Congressman Burgess Owens in 2023.
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.