Summary
In March 2024, a traffic stop in Natchez, Mississippi led to a chilling discovery. During the stop, the driver directed officers to a remote location, just ten feet off the road between Fatherland Road and the turnoff to the First Lutheran Church. There, beneath a layer of fallen leaves, officers found skeletal remains buried in a shallow grave. The remains were largely intact, but the head was missing. The remains are believed to belong to an adult male, estimated to stand between five feet nine inches and six feet four inches tall. An identification card found nearby suggested the man could have been around seventy years old, but no official identification has been confirmed.
The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as UP124871, and investigators with the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office began working to learn who this man was. Despite their efforts, the case remains open and unsolved, with few leads to pursue.
To advance the investigation, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office has partnered with Othram, a forensic laboratory that specializes in advanced DNA testing. Othram has performed Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive DNA profile from the remains. This profile is now being used to help identify the man and his family.
To support this effort, a DNASolves® crowdfund has been created. Contributions will help cover the cost of laboratory work, including DNA extraction, sequencing, and the genealogical research required to build out the family tree and point investigators to this man’s identity. Your support can help provide long-awaited answers, restore a name, and bring closure to this case.
If you have any information about this individual, please contact the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office and reference NamUs Case ID UP124871 and ME/C Case Number ME24-0285. Even if you do not have information, you can still play a role in helping solve this case by contributing financially or by sharing this story with others. You can also upload your own DNA data to aid investigations like this one.
Every effort brings us one step closer to justice. Please consider supporting this case and helping return a name to someone who has gone too long without one. To make a donation, 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.