Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and Othram Partner to Identify 2014 Middlesex County John Doe

Nearly a decade after the remains of an unknown man were discovered by kayakers, investigators are using advanced DNA testing to develop new leads in the case.
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Published August 05 by Michael Vogen
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Summary

In November 2014, the body of a deceased male was discovered in Cromwell, Connecticut. Kayakers found the unidentified male’s body floating in the Connecticut River. Investigators with the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office believe that the man was African American and between the ages of 21 and 35. It was estimated that the man had died with weeks of being discovered. The unidentified man was 5’10” tall and weighed approximately 200 pounds at the time of his death. He had black hair, a black mustache, and beard. Two distinctive scars were present on the man's body, including a 1-to-1.5-inch curvilinear scar over the left elbow and a 1-to-1.25-inch hypertrophic scar surrounded by suture scars on the dorsal side of the right hand. At the time of the discovery, the unknown man was wearing white Asics brand sneakers, blue checkered boxer shorts, and blue jeans with white nylon shorts over the jeans. The blue jeans had a black sock attached to the belt loop in what appeared to be a makeshift belt.

In December 2014, the case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as case number UP13320. Despite exhaustive efforts from investigators, the case has gone cold due to lack of leads or clues to his identity.

In 2023, in an ongoing collaboration aimed at solving the backlog of cold cases in the state, the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner partnered with Othram to leverage advanced DNA testing to generate new leads in the case. Anyone with information that could aid in this investigation is encouraged to contact the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner by calling 860-679-3980 and referencing agency case 06-12497 or NamUs ID #UP13320.

A DNASolves fund has been created to raise funds for the casework costs. Anyone can contribute here.

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.