Summary
In June 2021, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found in Canal Point, Florida. A skull washed ashore along the eastern shoreline of Lake Okeechobee. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Violent Crimes Division along with the Palm Beach County Office of the Medical Examiner responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. They determined that the skull likely belonged to a White or Hispanic adult man, who was probably between the ages of 39 to 69 years old.
Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and he became known as Palm Beach County John Doe. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP110477.
Recently, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. That profile was returned to the Sheriff's Office for forensic genetic genealogy.
A follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples were collected from potential relatives and compared to the DNA profile of the unknown man using KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing. This investigation led to the positive identification of Palm Beach County John Doe, who is now known to be William Wolfgang McKinnis, a native of Boston, Massachusetts who was born on May 18, 1969.
William McKinnis, a veteran of the United States military, lived a transient lifestyle and was estranged from family. Records indicate that McKinnis traveled between Cocoa, Florida and Hollywood, Florida in the summer of 2019. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information from anyone who may have known or encountered McKinnis from 2019 to 2021 and has information as to what may have caused his death.
We would like to thank Senator Gayle Harrell, Representative John Snyder, and their colleagues in the Florida legislature for their support and for funding law enforcement agencies so that they can solve these important cases.
This is the 50th publicly announced case in the State of Florida where officials leveraged Othram’s identity inference pipeline. Explore other cases on Othram’s website.
Dan Miller
Director of Customer Service
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.