Summary

On May 7, 2012, the remains of an unidentified man were discovered in Roy, Utah. At approximately 9:00 a.m., employees with the Utah Department of Transportation investigating an odor under the I-15/Riverdale Road overpass found a human body lying on a ledge beneath the overpass in what appeared to be a transient camp. Investigators estimated the man was in his late 50s to early 60s, and his remains were in an advanced state of decomposition. Efforts to identify the man, including fingerprint analysis, were unsuccessful.

Despite continued investigative work, the case went cold, and he remained unidentified for 14 years. The case was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP10461.

In 2023, investigators with the Utah Department of Public Safety submitted evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists successfully extracted DNA and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive SNP 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 these leads, investigators conducted a follow-up investigation that led to a possible sibling of the man who provided a reference DNA sample which was compared to the John Doe’s DNA profile. The investigation has now identified the man as Terry Richardson Chawk. Chawk's family has been in close contact with law enforcement and has arranged to have his remains returned.

This is the 11th publicly announced case in the State of Utah where officials leveraged Othram's identity inference pipeline. Learn more by visiting Othram’s website.