Summary
In July 2020, the remains of an unknown individual were seen floating in Deer Creek, near Kirkham Avenue which is located in Webster Groves, Missouri. Webster Groves is a suburb just west of downtown St. Louis. Several law enforcement agencies responded, including the Webster Groves Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Louis City Medical Examiner. The person’s body was recovered by the St. Louis Fire Department from the River Des Peres near Wabash Avenue in the City of St. Louis.
Investigators determined that the unknown person was a White male who stood 5’11” tall and weighed 225 pounds. The man was bald and wore tan cargo shorts and a belt at the time when his body was recovered. The man's manner of death was unclear at the time of his discovery and is still pending. In September 2020, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP73539. Local media outlets distributed details about the case in hopes that it would generate leads about the man's identity. Despite extensive efforts to identify the man, no leads yielded a match and the man’s identity remained a mystery.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man who is now known to be Jeremy Blair Clemons. His death has not been ruled a homicide, but it is considered a suspicious death.
The case remains under investigation and anyone with information that could aid in the investigation is encouraged to contact detectives the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department at 314-444-5371.
A portion of Othram's casework costs associated with the advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy completed in this case were contributed by donors through a DNASolves® crowdfund. We are grateful to everyone that helped crowdfund this case and other DNASolves cases. The remainder of Othram's casework costs was provided by NamUs, a national program that assists the criminal justice community with the investigation and resolution of missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons cases across the United States and its territories. NamUs is funded and administered by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and is managed through a contract with Research Triangle Institute International. We are grateful for the support of RTI, NamUs, and the NIJ as well as to those who helped crowdfund this case and other DNASolves cases.
The identification of this man represents the 21st case in the State of Missouri where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Visit DNASolves to learn about other Missouri cases where your support can help bring long-awaited answers to families.
Dan Miller
Director of Customer Service
Dan guides law enforcement agencies across the United States and internationally through every step of the forensic process—from crime scene to courtroom. He ensures investigators have the support and resources they need to navigate advanced DNA testing and maximize the impact of forensic evidence in their cases.