Natchitoches Parish Coroner's Office Teams with Othram to Identify 2005 John Doe

Almost two decades later, investigators are still working to identify a homicide victim whose remains were found encased in cement in Clarence, Louisiana.
Funded
Funding complete
Help fund another case Your contributions pay for lab supplies and research tools

Would you like to help solve cases like this one?

You can help by contributing your DNA data here:
Contribute DNA
Published December 04 by Michael Vogen
SHARE
Media Inquiries

Summary

In October 2005, a 55-gallon oil drum was found partially submerged in a shallow creek on private property in Clarence, a small community in rural Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. A portion of the oil drum had rusted out exposing skeletonized human remains encased in cement. The discovery was made by the property owner’s son. The Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory was able to remove the remains from the surrounding cement and they were submitted to the LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) Laboratory for assistance with identification. The man's manner of death was determined to be homicide.

The remains were determined to belong to a black male who was approximately 18 to 30 years old and 5’6” to 5’10” in height. It was determined that the man had been deceased for as few as one and as many as twenty-five years. A cotton-blend shirt and medium Hanes brand boxer shorts were the only personal items recovered. LSU FACES utilized advanced forensic imaging and facial reconstruction to create an image depicting what the man may have looked like during his life in hopes that it would generate leads in the case.

Multiple individuals have been ruled out as being Natchitoches Parish John Doe. Dental x-rays of the decedent were utilized for comparison, eventually ruling out the man’s identity as that of Lester Davis and Jeremiah Parker. The case was featured in the film series, “The Killing Fields” where standard DNA testing excluded the possibility that the remains belonged to Curtis “Cochise” Smith. In 2008, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as case number #UP846. Despite law enforcement's exhaustive efforts to identify the man, the case has gone cold.

In 2023, the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office teamed with Othram to generate new leads in the case using advanced DNA technology and forensic genetic genealogy. Anyone with information that could aid in the investigation is encouraged to contact the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office by calling 318-357-2260 and referencing case number J-00506-05.

A DNASolves crowdfund has been created to raise funds for the casework costs. Anyone can contribute here. We are grateful for everyone's support!

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.

Similar cases

Read More
Read More
Read More
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.