DNA technology could help identify remains found in Knoxville after nearly 40 years
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — After nearly four decades, DNA profiling and forensic genetic genealogy may help investigators find the name of a man found in a South Knoxville quarry.
According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, on September 21, 1985, a man's remains were discovered in a rock quarry in South Knoxville. It was estimated the man had been dead for a week. The case profile said the man's hair and eye color were unknown.
What is NamUs? How a federal database helps solve East TN missing persons cases
The man was estimated to be around 5'9″ tall and between the ages of 27 and 34 years old. A spokesperson for the Knox County Regional Forensic Center explained that the man was found wearing a 'Gooding Million Dollar Midway' shirt, and its possible that he may have been associated with the fair because it would have been in town around the time frame.
The case was first investigated by Dr. William Bass the spokesperson explained. Bass is known around the world for his research because of his research on the decomposition of human bodies. In 1971, he came to the University of Tennessee and was on the medical examiner's staff, and his work ultimately led the university's Forensic Anthropology Facility, which many may know as the 'body farm.'.
Multi-year rehabilitation of Bullhead Trail to cause weekday closures through November
In 2017, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center took jurisdiction of the case. In many unidentified remains cases, officials will release a photos of a facial composite of what the person was believed to have looked like when they were alive, but in this case, the forensic center spokesperson said that was not possible because they did not receive the man's jaw from the University of Tennessee.
Years later, the case may be one step closer to being solved. Recently, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center submitted the case for Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) through Othram, a Texas-based laboratory, after it was fully funded through grant funds. Othram specializes in DNA sequencing for FGG, which creates new leads for law enforcement by searching for potential relatives of a person based on DNA profiling.
Lonely Bones: Stories of the Forgotten Dead
One of the concerns when discussing older cases involving DNA is if the DNA sample's age may make it more difficult for an accurate profile to be developed. Earlier this month, the director of case management at Othram, Michael Vogen, explained to 6 News that while there are challenges, they have developed different techniques to help sort out the 'noise,' degradation and contamination to develop a profile similar to would be developed through a current day DNA test that involves filling a tube with saliva. In fact, Othram has had success in helping solve cases as old as the 1850s, he explained.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LA ignores calls for peaceful protests, helps bump up Trump's approval ratings on immigration
Violent protests in Los Angeles over the weekend continued overnight Monday into Tuesday, including instances of looting and vandalism despite calls from high-level California officials to refrain from violence and follow the path of civil disobedience. More than 100 people were arrested Monday night, according to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. That's up from 50 arrests over the weekend. Bass blamed 'fringe groups' for the violence. 'What we're seeing downtown is just horrible, but you know that the majority of people that attended the protest this afternoon were peaceful,' Bass told KABC-TV. Trump deployed 2,000 National Guardsmen on Friday night despite warnings from California officials that protests could become more volatile with military presence. These troops were expected to help protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents as they carried out their duties, and to protect federal buildings. Trump also called up 700 Marines, as well as an additional 2,000 National Guardsmen in the following days, making 4,000 National Guard troops in total. Sen. Mike Lee in a post on X Monday morning said, 'Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass helped create this problem, President Trump is fixing it.' On Tuesday, California asked a federal judge for an emergency order to block the Trump White House from using the National Guard in California. The day prior, California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration for sending troops to L.A. without asking the governor and accused the president of purposefully sowing division and chaos. The lawsuit described the unrest as 'primarily peaceful protests with some acts of violence' that 'do not rise to the level of a rebellion. ' On Sunday, protesters burned several self-driving taxi Waymo vehicles while waving Mexican flags. They also blocked roads and freeways and started several confrontational run-ins with the Los Angeles Police Department. Still, Newsom and other state and federal officials called for protesters to remain peaceful. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chimed in through a post on X Monday, saying, 'Dr. King defeated racist government officials & ended segregation through disciplined non-violent resistance.' 'Violent protests are counterproductive and play right into Trump's playbook,' Sanders added. Thomas Chatterton Williams from The Atlantic called scenes unfolding in Southern California over the weekend 'catastrophic messaging.' 'In what world (not this one) can a protest movement whose symbols are torching Waymo taxis and waving *foreign* flags appeal to most Americans?' Williams, in another post, said, 'The civil rights movement literally laid out the blueprint and no one can manage to follow it.' Rep. Nanette Díaz Barragán, D-Calif., encouraged peaceful protests in an interview with PBS News. She also blamed the violence on a few bad actors. 'We do not believe that people should be throwing items at law enforcement,' Barragán said. 'I will also say, I think that last night we saw people who were taking advantage of the situation, who I don't think were there really to protest the immigration conduct and activity. They were destroying property, they were looting.' She added those individuals are going against the cause and should be arrested. Trump's approval ratings on immigration shot up ahead of the weekend. Roughly 54% of voters approved of the Trump administration's deportation policy. In comparison, 46% disapprove, according to a CBS News poll on Trump's immigration policy, conducted from June 4-6, before the National Guard's deployment to California. The poll also found 53% of voters said they believed the Trump administration was deporting dangerous criminals first and 47% said they didn't believe that was the case. Real Clear Politics' polling average shows 'Trump holds a net -2.1 approval rating overall, but a +4.5 approval rating on immigration.' Trump's approval rating on immigration experienced a positive shift compared to his first term in office, moving from -21% in 2017 to +1 as of this week, CNN's data analyst Harry Enten noted. 'There is no issue on which Trump is doing so much better than he was in his first term more than the issue of immigration,' he said. 'Trump is begging for a fight on this. He knows what he's doing so far is working with the American electorate.' Bass said she thinks Trump is using L.A. as its test subject. 'I think we're an experiment because if you can do this to the nation's second largest city, maybe the administration is hoping that this will be a signal to everybody everywhere to fear them,' the L.A. mayor said. 'That your federal government that historically has protected you can come in and take over.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Body found, 100-plus arrested amid violent LA protests of ICE raids
June 10 (UPI) -- Local law enforcement is investigating the death of a man whose body was found on a downtown Los Angeles sidewalk early Tuesday morning, where protests and looting have occurred. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call at 1:30 a.m. PDT regarding an unresponsive man on a sidewalk in the downtown area of West 3rd Street and Broadway, KTLA reported. The unidentified man was dead, and his cause of death is being investigated. Several businesses in the area were looted and vandalized at about the same time that the police received the emergency call. The LAPD reported it made more than 100 arrests connected to Monday's protests, including 14 for looting. Mayor condemns looting, violence and vandalism Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed the violence and looting during a Tuesday morning press conference. She told reporters city officials have not received word of raids because Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not notify the city when ICE raids are planned. "What we rely on is reporting from the community, especially the immigrant rights organizations that have formed the 'rapid response network,' "Bass told media. "I do not believe that individuals that commit vandalism and violence in our city really are in support of immigrants," Bass told reporters. "They have another agenda." She said the "unrest that has happened are a few blocks within the downtown area" and not all of downtown or citywide. "The visuals make it seem as though our entire city is in flames, and that is not the case at all," Bass explained. "The violence and the damage is unacceptable. It is not going to be tolerated, and the individuals will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." She said those who participate and make it home at night should not think they got away with it because local police are investigating, and "there will be follow-up and arrests." Bass also said Los Angeles "was peaceful" on Thursday. Bass blames ICE raids for violence "There was nothing going on here that warranted the federal intervention that took place the very next day," Bass told reporters. "If we want to look at the cause of what is happening here, I take it back to raids that took place on Friday and the uncertainty and the fear and the fact that families across the city are terrified." She said city officials don't know how many people ICE has detained and some people have not had contact with legal representation or their families. "When the administration started, they said this was about crime," she said. "They were going to go after violent felons, drug dealers, and I don't know how that matches with the scenes that we saw of people at Home Depot running through the parking lot because they were afraid they would be arrested." Bass said vandalism and graffiti "have been extensive," and she wants to meet with local business leaders and faith leaders to discuss how to clean up the downtown area ahead of next year's FIFA World Cup, which Los Angeles is scheduled to host. She also announced that she will attend a 6 p.m. interfaith prayer vigil "calling for peace" and "supporting immigrant Angelenos," but did not say where the vigil is scheduled. The L.A. riots prompted President Donald Trump to call up the National Guard to protect federal buildings, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he will transfer 700 Marines to the area. California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of illegally calling up the National Guard, but Trump said the violence would have "completely obliterated" Los Angeles.
UPI
5 hours ago
- UPI
Body found and 100+ arrested amid violent L.A. protests in wake of ICE raids
1 of 2 | Demonstrators march Sunday. The Los Angeles Police Department arrested more than 100 people for protest-related offenses and is investigating a man's death that was reported early Tuesday morning. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo June 10 (UPI) -- Local law enforcement is investigating the death of a man whose body was found on a downtown Los Angeles sidewalk early Tuesday morning, where protests and looting have occurred. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a call at 1:30 a.m. PDT regarding an unresponsive man on a sidewalk in the downtown area of West 3rd Street and Broadway, KTLA reported. The unidentified man was dead, and his cause of death is being investigated. Several businesses in the area were looted and vandalized at about the same time that the police received the emergency call. The LAPD reported it made more than 100 arrests connected to Monday's protests, including 14 for looting. Mayor condemns looting, violence and vandalism Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed the violence and looting during a Tuesday morning press conference. She told reporters city officials have not received word of raids because Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not notify the city when ICE raids are planned. "What we rely on is reporting from the community, especially the immigrant rights organizations that have formed the 'rapid response network,' "Bass told media. "I do not believe that individuals that commit vandalism and violence in our city really are in support of immigrants," Bass told reporters. "They have another agenda." She said the "unrest that has happened are a few blocks within the downtown area" and not all of downtown or citywide. "The visuals make it seem as though our entire city is in flames, and that is not the case at all," Bass explained. "The violence and the damage is unacceptable. It is not going to be tolerated, and the individuals will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." She said those who participate and make it home at night should not think they got away with it because local police are investigating, and "there will be follow-up and arrests." Bass also said Los Angeles "was peaceful" on Thursday. Bass blames ICE raids for violence "There was nothing going on here that warranted the federal intervention that took place the very next day," Bass told reporters. "If we want to look at the cause of what is happening here, I take it back to raids that took place on Friday and the uncertainty and the fear and the fact that families across the city are terrified." She said city officials don't know how many people ICE has detained and some people have not had contact with legal representation or their families. "When the administration started, they said this was about crime," she said. "They were going to go after violent felons, drug dealers, and I don't know how that matches with the scenes that we saw of people at Home Depot running through the parking lot because they were afraid they would be arrested." Bass said vandalism and graffiti "have been extensive," and she wants to meet with local business leaders and faith leaders to discuss how to clean up the downtown area ahead of next year's FIFA World Cup, which Los Angeles is scheduled to host. She also announced that she will attend a 6 p.m. interfaith prayer vigil "calling for peace" and "supporting immigrant Angelenos," but did not say where the vigil is scheduled. The L.A. riots prompted President Donald Trump to call up the National Guard to protect federal buildings, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he will transfer 700 Marines to the area. California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of illegally calling up the National Guard, but Trump said the violence would have "completely obliterated" Los Angeles.
