Summary
In February of 1998 the remains of a man were found in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Hikers located a suitcase and bag near Interstate 77 in Dover Township. Inside were the dismembered remains of an elderly man. The man’s height and weight were estimated to be 5’ 8” and 160 pounds, respectively. Investigators believed that only days had elapsed since the man’s death and the discovery of his remains.
Neither fingerprint analysis nor traditional DNA testing yielded a match in the case. Despite efforts to identify the man, the case went cold and the man’s identity was a mystery for nearly three decades. The case was entered into NamUs as UP4751.
In 2023, investigators with the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (Ohio BCI) worked to submit forensic evidence to Othram in hopes that the man could be identified using identity inference, a process that enables investigators to identify individuals from DNA evidence, even when there is no known reference sample to initially compare against.
Forensic evidence arrived at Othram's laboratory headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. At Othram, scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive SNP profile for the unknown man. This SNP profile powered a forensic search led by Ohio BCI’s forensic genetic genealogy team, which resulted in new leads.
These leads allowed law enforcement to conduct a follow-up investigation that led them to identify the John Doe as Lawrence A. Drotleff, who would have been 93 years old when his remains were found. Investigators now know that Lawrence’s son, 81-year-old Larry Drotleff dismembered his father after finding him deceased, then dumped his body in two locations.
While Larry Drotleff will not face charges for the abuse of his father’s remains due to statute of limitations, he has been charged federally with two counts of stealing more than $250,000 of his father’s Social Security and pension benefits.
This is the 4th publicly announced case in the State of Ohio where officials leveraged Othram’s identity inference pipeline. Explore other cases on Othram’s website.
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.