Ventura County Sheriff’s Office & Medical Examiner’s Office Team with Othram to Identify a 1997 John Doe

Summary

In February 1997, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered at the bottom of a deep ravine in Ventura, California. Ventura is just northwest of Los Angeles. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene where it was determined that the remains were that of a male. The remains were sent to the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office, where it was estimated that the man stood 5’7” tall and weighed 150 pounds. The man was believed to have had reddish-brown hair and bore a tattoo of a Grim Reaper with the name 'Cassandra' on his left calf, along with a possible tattoo on his mid-right thigh. No other identifying characteristics could be determined. The manner and cause of death were undetermined. Furthermore, there was no evidence of foul play.

In May 2016, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP15047. Despite extensive efforts by law enforcement investigators to identify the man, no matches were found, and the case went cold due to a lack of investigative leads.

In 2023, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in Woodlands, Texas, to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted, leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Norman Leon Wyrick. Norman was born on September 14, 1941, in Marion County, Tennessee. He initially relocated to Orange County, California, as a young man, eventually settling in San Bernardino before making his way to Santa Barbara. Norman also resided in Port Hueneme. He was never reported missing.

The identification of Norman Leon Wyrick represents the 46th case in the State of California where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Most recently in Monterey, California, Daniel S. Pyles, who was discovered near the Bixby Bridge in California’s Big Sur region, was identified after 16 years.

Funding for the advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy used in this case was provided by NamUs, a national clearinghouse that assists the criminal justice community with the investigation and resolution of missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons cases across the United States and its territories. NamUs is funded and administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and is managed through a contract with Research Triangle Institute International. We are grateful for the support of RTI, NamUs, and the NIJ.