Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 2006 John Doe

After nearly two decades, the remains of a white male found in DeLand, Florida have not been identified.
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Published February 28 by Michael Vogen
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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.

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.