St. Louis City Office of the Medical Examiner Teams with Othram to Identify a June 2020 John Doe

Investigators are working to identify a man whose remains were discovered in 2020 near the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri.
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Published May 11 by Michael Vogen
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Summary

In June 2020, the remains of an unidentified male were recovered from the Mississippi River in St. Louis City. Investigators from the St. Louis City Office of the Medical Examiner responded to the scene. Clothing items noted on the remains at the time of recovery include socks and boxer briefs. Investigators believe the man was between 36 and 50 years old and approximately 5’ 10” to 6’ 0”’ in height at his time of death.

The man had several recognizable memorial-type tattoos on his body. In an attempt to recreate the tattoos, drawings were created and released to the public in hopes that it would generate new leads about the man’s identity. Despite the exhaustive efforts by the Medical Examiner's Office, the man’s identity has remained a mystery.

After the remains were recovered, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP70471. Despite Investigator’s work to identify the man, his identity remains a mystery.

In 2023, the St. Louis City Office of the Medical Examiner partnered with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing can help to determine the identity of the man. Othram scientists will work to develop a comprehensive DNA profile to be used in records research and forensic genetic genealogy. Anyone with information that could aid in the investigation is encouraged to contact the St. Louis City Office of the Medical Examiner by calling 314-622-4971 and referencing agency case number CITY-2020-1396.

A DNASolves crowdfund has been established to cover the casework costs. Anyone can contribute here.

Help fund another case Your contributions pay for lab supplies and research tools

Michael Vogen

Michael Vogen

Director of Case Management

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.