Summary

On July 7, 1994, human skeletal remains of an unidentified man were discovered near a campsite at Nyack's Putt Lake located in Placer County, California. Loggers made the discovery and notified law enforcement. Investigators with the Placer County Sheriff's Department responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. The remains were determined to belong to an adult male believed to be between 50 and 60 years old. Investigators were unable to determine the man's cause of death or identify him at the time.

Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and he became known as Placer County John Doe (1994). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP17544.

In December 2024, investigators with the Placer County Sheriff's Department submitted evidence to Othram's laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists worked to develop a DNA extract from the provided remains, then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. The profile was returned to law enforcement who used the profile in a forensic genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted directing investigators to potential relatives of the man. Investigators worked to obtain a reference DNA sample from a living relative of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be George Krusely, born April 30, 1929.

This is the 90th publicly announced case in the State of California where investigators have used Othram's technology to identify an individual. Learn about other cases by visiting Othram's website.