Sandoval County Sheriff's Department & New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator and Othram Partner to Identify a 1999 John Doe

After 26 years, investigators are still working to identify an unidentified woman, whose remains were found in New Mexico.

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Published March 01 by Michael Vogen
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Summary

In 1999, the remains of an unidentified woman, estimated to be between the ages of 23 and 60, were discovered by hunters in Sandoval County, New Mexico. Alongside the remains, a blanket and parts of clothing were found, offering few clues to help uncover her identity. Despite years of investigative efforts, the identity of this individual remains a mystery. The case is recorded under NamUs case ID UP10294, but so far, traditional investigative methods have not yielded an identity.

In 2025, the Sandoval County Sheriff's Department and New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator partnered with Othram to see utilize Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® and forensic genetic genealogy, to develop new leads in the case.

A DNASolves crowdfunding initiative has been launched to secure the necessary funding for the DNA analysis. If you have any information pertinent to the case, please reach out to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator at 505-272-3053.

We invite you to contribute to this effort. You can directly support our funding campaign or opt to contribute your own DNA profile to the DNASolves database to assist in solving cases like this one. Your support is invaluable in helping to solve this and similar cases.

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Michael Vogen

Michael Vogen

Director of Case Management

832-906-4247
2829 Technology Forest Blvd Suite 100, The Woodlands, Texas 77381
media@othram.com

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.

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About Othram Inc.

Othram is the world’s first private DNA laboratory built specifically to apply the power of modern parallel sequencing to forensic evidence. Othram’s scientists are experts at ... Read morerecovery, enrichment, and analysis of human DNA from trace quantities of degraded or contaminated materials. Founded in 2018, and located in The Woodlands, Texas, our team works with academic researchers, forensic scientists, medical examiners, and law enforcement agencies to achieve results when other approaches have failed. Follow Othram on Twitter @OthramTech or visit Othram.com to learn how we can help you with your case. With dnasolves.com anyone can make a difference and help solve the next cold case.