Summary

On October 17, 2021, partial skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found in a desert area near Gold Canyon, Arizona, about one mile from US Highway 60 and one mile from the Arizona Renaissance Festival property. The Pinal County Medical Examiner's Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating.

The remains consisted of a skull, mandible, and skull fragments. Clothing and footwear were recovered nearby. Investigators determined the remains likely belonged to an adult male, but no identification was found and because of the condition of the remains, there was no way to identify the individual.

Despite investigative efforts, the person could not be identified and became known as Pinal County John Doe (2021). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP85421.

In 2024, the Pinal County Medical Examiner's Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the person. A DNASolves® crowdfund was established to cover Othram's casework costs; we are grateful to those who donated. 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 person. 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 person. This investigation led to the positive identification of the person, who is now known to be Thomas Kryger. He was 62 years old.

This is the 16th publicly announced case in the State of Arizona where officials leveraged Othram's identity inference pipeline. Learn more at Othram.com.