Summary
In January 2006, the remains of an unidentified individual were located by hunters about a quarter-mile into a wooded area in DeLand, Florida, just north of Orlando. Investigators determined that the remains were that of a white male, who was between 25 and 65 years old. It was estimated that the man’s height was 6 '1'' at the time of his death. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP118.
In 2017, a composite sketch was created depicting how the man may have looked during his life and released to the public in hopes that it would generate new leads in the case. Despite investigator’s work to identify the decedent, the man’s identity remains a nearly two decade old mystery.
In October 2023, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with Othram to leverage advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy to develop investigative leads in hopes of identifying the man. Anyone with information that could aid in the investigation is encouraged to contact the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office at 1-888-277-8477 and reference case number 2006-0021V.
Law enforcement has contributed a portion of the funds necessary for the casework. A DNASolves crowdfund has been created to raise funds for the remaining casework costs. Anyone can contribute here. We are grateful for your support.
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.