Summary
In September 2010, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in Honolulu, Hawaii. A construction crew working at a residential property in the Manoa area discovered the skeletal remains which had been buried. Extensive work by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) revealed that the remains were likely that of a White male between 40 and 57 years of age and between 5’6″ and 6’2″ tall. Investigators concluded that the man sustained a gunshot wound to the head and that his remains were placed in the area under suspicious circumstances. The man was wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt and brown Levi Panatela pants. Items recovered from his clothing indicate that the man was killed no earlier than 1982.
A composite based on the man’s skull was developed by a graphic artist and released to the public in hopes that it would generate new leads in the case. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP11790. Despite investigators’ attempts to identify the man, the case was cold for over a decade.
In March 2022, the Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner submitted forensic evidence to Othram in hopes that advanced DNA testing could assist in the identification of the man. Upon receipt of evidence at Othram's laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas, Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract. A comprehensive DNA profile was then built for the man using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®. Upon completion of the process, the profile was delivered to the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team so that genealogy research could be performed.
Using these new leads, a follow-up investigation was launched, leading investigators to identify the man as William Hans Holling, Jr. Holling resided in the state of Washington and had gone through a contentious divorce. He was last seen by his family and friends in January 1985, and was known to travel frequently to Australia via Honolulu.
Anyone with information about William Hans Holling, Jr. is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 808-955-8300. The public may now send anonymous web tips to www.honolulucrimestoppers.org or via the P3 Tips App.
Funding for Othram's casework costs associated with the advanced DNA testing in this case was provided 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 William Hans Holling, Jr. represents the first publicly announced case in the State of Hawaii where investigators utilized technology developed by Othram to identify an individual. To read about other cases, visit DNASolves.
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.