Summary
In April 2021, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were discovered by a group of friends hunting for mushrooms in a wooded area just west of the city of Salina in Saline County, Kansas. As they walked between the railroad track and a water-filled creek, the group came across the remains and called local law enforcement. During the investigation, more remains were found along with a dilapidated tent, which looked like it had been left over from the winter season. A search of the area was done by members of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office along with cadaver dogs and their handlers, but nothing more could be found.
The remains were then submitted to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation for possible identification using traditional DNA testing. The remains were also submitted to an anthropolgists at Wichita State University in hopes that other details could be estimated about the individual. Investigators determined that the remains were likely that of a male and the time between the man's death and the discovery of his remains was about one year.
In 2024, the Saline County Sheriff’s Office teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing can help to determine the identity of the individual. Anyone with information that could aid in the investigation is encouraged to contact the Saline County Sheriff’s Office by calling 785-826-6500 and referencing agency case number 2021-6145.
The Saline County Sheriff’s Office has contributed a portion of the funds for this case and a DNASolves® crowdfund has been created to raise funds for the remaining casework costs. Anyone can contribute here.
Michael Vogen
Director of Case Management
Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.