Modoc County Sheriff's Office Teams with Othram to Identify 1995 John Doe

After 30 years, investigators are still working to identify a man found in Modoc County, California.

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Published March 29, 2025 by Dan Miller
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Summary

In October 1995, a hunter found skeletal remains, including a skull, belonging to an unknown individual in Modoc County, the most northeastern county in California. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, investigators could not determine the individual's identity but they believe the remains belong to an Asian or Hispanic man who was 30-55 years old when he died. It is believed the John Doe was 5'6" to 6'0" tall.

The clothes found on the man’s body include a long olive green jacket, similar to a U.S. Army field coat, medium/regular size, chest size 37"-41", with a stock number of 84057822939, a blue and red striped checkered plaid Levi brand western shirt with snap buttons, gray corduroy pants, a longjohn top, a t-shirt and purple-striped white socks.

Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP17246 Over the years attempts were made to identify the man, but his identity remains a mystery.

The Modoc County Sheriff's Office sent the skeletal remains to Othram in hopes that advanced forensic DNA testing could generate new leads. Othram scientists will extract DNA from the forensic evidence and use Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile suitable for forensic genetic genealogical research. A DNASolves crowdfunding campaign has been launched to cover the costs of this specialized testing and analysis.

Your support can make a difference in identifying this individual and reconnecting him with his family. Please consider donating to the DNASolves crowdfund [https://dnasolves.com/articles/modoc-county-john-doe-1995] to help cover the costs of advanced DNA testing. Additionally, if you have taken a consumer DNA test, you can contribute by opting into forensic genetic genealogy matching to assist in solving this case and others like it.

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Dan Miller

Dan Miller

Director of Customer Service

832-906-4247
2829 Technology Forest Blvd Suite 100, The Woodlands, Texas 77381
media@othram.com

Dan guides law enforcement agencies across the United States and internationally through every step of the forensic process—from crime scene to courtroom. He ensures investigators have the support and resources they need to navigate advanced DNA testing and maximize the impact of forensic evidence in 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.