Summary
On March 14, 2024, skeletal remains were discovered by an officer beneath a pile of leaves in a shallow grave in Natchez, Mississippi. The remains are believed to belong to an adult male, whose age could not be definitively determined. The man stood between 5’9” and 6’4”. An ID card found near the remains suggests the individual may have been a 70-year-old male, but no official identification has been made.
The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP124871. Despite investigators’ efforts, the individual has not been identified. The uncertainty around his identity has left the case unsolved and the community searching for answers.
To aid in identification, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner has teamed with Othram to apply advanced forensic DNA testing. Othram will developed a DNA extract and use Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile that can be used for forensic genetic genealogy analysis. A DNASolves® crowdfund has been established to cover the costs associated with this case, including lab supplies and research tools.
If you have any information about this case, please contact the Mississippi State Medical Examiner. For more details, refer to NamUs Case ID: UP124871 and ME/C Case Number: ME24-0285.
Please consider contributing to help fund the forensic DNA testing required to solve this case. Your support can help bring answers to this investigation. Additionally, you can contribute your DNA data to aid forensic investigations and assist in identifying this individual. To donate, click here.
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.