Summary
In September 1999, an underwater diver was swimming in the Spokane River near Nine Mile Falls Dam in Spokane County, Washington and discovered what appeared to be the remains of a human foot in a black crew sock. The diver brought the foot ashore and called authorities, with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and Spokane County Coroner responding to the scene. The foot was determined to be human and additional searches of the river and shoreline were carried out. Unfortunately, these searches yielded no further remains, leaving only the foot to be examined and identified. At the time of discovery, the remains were thought to be female. However, further testing in 2015 confirmed the remains to be male. Based on the evidence recovered at the scene, no identifying characteristics or other information could be determined for the individual.
In November 2007, details of the case were uploaded to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP680. With few leads to follow, the case went cold. For 25 years, the person’s identity was a mystery.
In 2022, the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office once again teamed with Othram to use advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy to identify the unknown individual. Forensic evidence was sent to Othram's laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists developed a DNA extract that was used with Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man. Othram forensic genetic genealogists worked together with Nicole Hamada, a Medicolegal Death Investigator with the SCMEO, to find possible relatives.
These leads along with a follow up investigation enabled the agency to locate the man's family and confirm his identity. Out of respect for the family's wishes, investigators have not released the man's name to the public.
In August 2022, the Spokane Medical Examiner’s Office received American Rescue Plan funds to help identify human remains using forensic genetic genealogy. Using these funds, the Spokane Medical Examiner’s Office has teamed with Othram on multiple cases, including the recent identifications of Clifford Wayne Bippes, Juanes Gaspar, and Bruce Frank Sherman. We are grateful for their willingness to collaborate and desire to solve these cases.
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.