Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 2012 Homicide Victim

Summary

In October 2012, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were discovered by a local resident along the Eel River in Piercy, California, about 170 miles from San Francisco. The resident found a pair of shoes sticking out of the sand on the riverbank and pulled on them, revealing human remains. A team of forensic anthropologists worked to excavate the remains, retrieving the skeleton of a male individual whose skull was not present. It was determined that the man was between the ages of 25 and 45 years old, standing between 5’11” and 6’4”.

It appeared that the remains located within the shallow grave had been there for an extended time, and the partial articles of clothing collected suggested 1980’s styles. John Doe’s death was labeled as a homicide given the circumstances around the discovery of his remains. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP59510 and the man was commonly referred to as “Skeleton in Sneakers."

In 2024, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence, and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive genealogical profile for the unknown man. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used this profile to conduct genetic genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. A reference DNA sample was collected from the potential relatives and compared to the DNA profile of the unknown man.. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Warren David Hawkins, born in 1965.

Investigators learned that Warren Hawkins had been reported missing by his sister to the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office in Washington. In July of 1986, when Hawkins was 21-years-old, his now-deceased mother dropped off him and another unknown male at a bus station. Hawkins was never seen or heard from again. Warren David Hawkins' remains will now be returned to his family for his final internment.

Othram's casework costs associated with the advanced DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy completed in this case were funded by NamUs, a national clearinghouse 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 Warren David Hawkins represents the 51st case in the State of California where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Visit DNASolves to read about other California cases.