Summary
In December 1991, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in the Boston Harbor near Thompson Island. Thompson Island is located offshore from Boston, Massachusetts. It was determined that the remains were that of an adult white male who was 5’11” tall and weighed 225 pounds. The man’s age was estimated to be 20 to 30 years old. At his time of death, the man was fully-clothed, and wore a knit sweater, black pants, two pairs of black socks, and black high-top sneakers. The man had a stab wound and his manner of death was determined to be homicide.
With few leads about the man, his identity was a mystery and he became known as Suffolk County John Doe. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP14794. In 2022, the Boston Police Department teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to resolve the thirty-year mystery around Suffolk County John Doe’s identity.
Forensic evidence was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas where scientists successfully developed a DNA extract and then used Forensic Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man. Upon completion of the process, the DNA profile was transferred to the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team so that a genealogy search could be conducted. This search resulted in new leads about the man’s identity. These leads were provided to investigators who launched a follow-up investigation.
The follow-up investigation led investigators to potential relatives of the man. This investigation led to the positive identification of Suffolk County John Doe, who is now known to be Toussaint Gonsalves, who was born on October 2, 1970. Since his identification, investigators have learned Mr. Gonsalves attended the former Boston High School and may have been living in Newton or Dorchester at the time of his murder. He also may have been employed working in a kitchen.
The Boston Police Department’s Unsolved Homicide Unit is actively investigating this case. Anyone with information about this individual is urged to contact the Boston Police Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470. Individuals who wish to assist anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting “TIP” to CRIME (27463).
Funding for the advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy used in this case 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.
The identification of Toussaint Gonsalves represents the ninth case in Massachusetts where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. To read about other Massachusetts cases, visit DNASolves.