The Skeleton Key Chronicles

22 hours ago

For more than four decades, a man recovered from the Mississippi River rested in an unmarked grave without a name. Now, authorities in southeast Missouri are hoping modern DNA technology can finally uncover who he was and how he ended up there all those years ago.

He was located about five miles south of New Madrid on September 29, 1981 by Missouri Water Patrol personnel. Despite attempts to identify him at the time, the case slowly faded into obscurity over the years as the unidentified man was laid to rest without ever being connected to a name or missing persons report. Based on the condition of the remains, authorities believe he had been in the water about a week. Which put locations like southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky as areas of interest, there is also the possibility the unidentified man may have been transient and originally from somewhere else entirely.

Just last year authorities made the unusual decision to exhume the man’s remains and reopen the case using modern forensic testing. Usable DNA was recovered and sent to Othram, while officials also worked to reconstruct parts of the original case after discovering many of the early records no longer existed.
Earlier this month, the sheriff’s department said DNA analysis had begun producing possible leads in the case. Over the next several weeks, authorities are expected to travel out of state to collect DNA samples from people who may be biologically connected to the unidentified man.

Alongside the renewed DNA efforts, a computer-generated reconstruction was also created from surviving records in hopes that someone may finally recognize the unidentified man after all these years.

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The Skeleton Key Chronicles

1 day ago

A forensic rendering released earlier this year may hold the key to finally helping identify a Jane Doe found in Arizona more than three decades ago. The unidentified woman’s remains were discovered near Interstate 40 in Mohave County back in November 1989, but despite decades of investigation, nobody has ever been able to figure out who she was. The woman was believed to be between 25 and 30 years old, when she was found near the Hualapai Mountains, her fingers and toe nails were manicured with red nail polish. A handmade floral blouse and a pair of earrings connected to the case were later recovered nearby.

The forensic rendering was created by well-known forensic artist Carl Koppelman, whose reconstructions have helped bring renewed attention to numerous unidentified person cases over the years.

One of the standout details in the case for genealogists is that the woman was 96% Ashkenazi ancestry, which authorities said has made tracing relatives through DNA far more difficult than expected. In an effort to speed up identication, investigators recently teamed up with the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Ramapo College in New Jersey, hoping advances in forensic genealogy may finally lead to the woman’s identity.

Over the years, testing has continued in hopes of identifying her. Investigators entered her DNA into CODIS and also tested her belongings for foreign DNA, but neither produced matches. More recently, authorities turned to forensic genetic genealogy in hopes that newer technology could finally help uncover her identity. Additionally, Rabbi Mendel Super–believed to be the only rabbi in Mohave County– has spent years trying to help identify the woman, hoping advances in genealogy and renewed public attention may eventually lead to her name.

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The Skeleton Key Chronicles

2 days ago

A Michigan man says he left home to run a quick errand and came back to find his 55-year-old sister gone without a trace. Jennifer McCormick disappeared from her home in Alamo Township, Michigan on May 13th while her brother and caregiver, Mike McCormick, was away from the house for about 90 minutes. When he returned, he said he searched the home, checked outside around the property, and eventually called police after realizing she was nowhere around.

Jennifer has Down syndrome, and though she is considered mostly independent, she's still heavily reliant on family members especially in terms of leaving home. According to investigators, she was known to occasionally go for walks, though family members said she would normally let someone know before leaving. Sheriff Richard Fuller also said Jennifer is not believed to have been carrying a cellphone or cash when she disappeared.

At one point, deputies believed nearby surveillance footage may have captured Jennifer, but investigators later determined the person seen was not her. Search teams have since used drones, tracking dogs, volunteers, and repeated searches around the property and nearby area while investigators continue trying to piece together where Jennifer may have gone.

Jennifer’s brother later told local media he is concerned she may have gotten into a car with someone, though investigators said there has been no indication of foul play so far.

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