Summary

On December 10, 1994, the body of an unidentified man was found in a hotel room at 320 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Raleigh Police Department responded and began collecting evidence and investigating when it was learned that the man checked into the hotel using the pseudonym, Brian Stillwell.

Investigators determined that the man was White, between 55 and 65 years old, weighed 223 pounds, and stood 5'11". Investigators determined that the man died about 18 hours before being found. Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and became known as Raleigh John Doe (1994). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP2788.

In April 2025, the Raleigh Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas where scientists determined that 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. This profile was returned to law enforcement who executed a forensic genetic genealogy search to develop new leads in the case.

Using these leads, 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 using KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Edward Sidney Broughton, born May 2, 1937. He was 57 years old when he died.

The identification of Edward Broughton represents the 15th case in North Carolina where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Visit DNASolves to learn about other North Carolina cases where your support can help bring long-awaited answers to families.