Summary

On February 12, 1976, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found on a ridge in the Baboquivari Mountains of Pima County, Arizona, approximately four miles south of Kitt Peak, near Tucson. Pima County officials responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. They determined the remains likely belonged to a young white male who was between 18 and 24 years old.

Partial skeletal remains along with clothing and personal effects, including blue denim jeans, a blue and red shirt, Dunham brand boots size 8, a green aluminum-framed Camp Trails backpack, a hatchet and scabbard, and an orange plastic tarp, were found. No identification was available and because of the condition of the remains, there was no way to identify the man.

Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and became known as Kitt Peak John Doe (1976). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP17676.

In September 2024, the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify Kitt Peak John Doe. 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. 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. This investigation led to the man's positive identification as David Michael Resnik, born December 25, 1947. David Resnik, an Army Medic who served in the Vietnam War, would have been 28 years old at the time that his remains were discovered. Resnick lived in Tucson prior to his disappearance. Resnik's identification brings long-awaited answers for his family and friends.

Advanced DNA testing conducted at Othram was paid for by NamUs, a national program 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 (RTI).

This is the 17th publicly announced case in the State of Arizona where officials leveraged Othram's identity inference pipeline. Read about other cases on Othram's website.