Latest news with #HenryGoodsell
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Skull of ‘Scattered Man' Washed Up on a Beach 30 Years Ago. Students Just ID'd the Remains.
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: A skull washed on up on the shore of a New Jersey beach back in 1995, with further bone fragments appearing in 1999 and 2013. As a result, the set of remains earned the nickname 'Scattered Man John Doe.' Stumped for nearly three decades, local law enforcement recently turned to students at Ramapo College to employ genetic analysis and historical research to try and identify whose bones had washed ashore. The students were able to determine that the remains belonged to Henry Goodsell, the 29-year-old captain of the merchant ship Oriental, who died during a storm alongside his crew in 1844 This story is a collaboration with Imagine it's 1995. You've just had a good time seeing Batman Forever at the movies. You're cracking open an OK soda, strolling along the beach in Longport, New Jersey, rocking out to Shaggy's 'Boombastic,' when all of a sudden you stumble across a shocking sight: a skull has washed up on the shore. Did somebody drown at the beach? Did you stumble across the remnants of a mob hit? Whose skull is this, and how did it get here? You contact the proper authorities and feel certain they'll find the answer soon enough. Now imagine it's 1999. You've just had an O.K. time seeing Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, and have likely forgotten all about that skull on the beach four years ago when, suddenly, news breaks: fragments of bone from the same corpse as the Longport skull have now been found less than two miles away in the nearby town of Margate. Authorities are no closer to identifying the dead man. Now, it's 2013. You just saw Frozen, and as you check your phone on the way out of the theater, you see the news alert: new skeletal remains, likely connected with that 1995 skull, have washed up in Ocean City. Still, law enforcement remains no closer to identifying a body whose skull was first discovered 18 years prior, and they've taken to calling the skeletal remnants 'Scattered Man John Doe.' Well, after 12 more years—a total of 30 since that skull was first discovered Longport, New Jersey—the Scattered Man has finally been identified. Through a combination of genetic analysis and good-old-fashioned historical research—in a collaboration between state law enforcement and the Ramapo College of New Jersey's Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center—the remains have been found to belong to Henry Goodsell, the captain of a merchant ship who died during a storm alongside his crew. Goodsell was only 29 years old when he died, meaning that he spent more years as 'the skull that washed up on the beach' than he ever did as a living, breathing man. But all the more remarkable is how long Goodsell's body had been lost, awaiting discovery: the storm that claimed Goodsell's life occurred in the winter of 1844. Ramapo's search for answers began in the fall of 2023, when they sent a DNA sample from the remains to Intermountain Forensics 'who uploaded the sample to GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA in February of 2024,' per a Ramapo College press release. This allowed the Ramapo undergraduates to trace the genealogy of the deceased. The students found evidence of ancestry 'dating back to the 1600s, with genetic relatives hailing from Litchfield and Fairfield counties in Connecticut.' For a full year, students at Ramapo hit the books, volunteering their time to try and triangulate deceased or missing figures with ties to Connecticut who may have been involved in shipwrecks off of the coast of New Jersey. That's when they discovered two news articles from December of 1844, which spoke of the sad fate of the vessel Oriental: 'The students learned that five crew members were aboard the Oriental, which departed from Connecticut en route to Philadelphia, PA, to deliver 60 tons of marble for use by Girard College, a college preparatory boarding school that opened in 1848. The ship was wrecked off the coast of Brigantine Shoal in 1844. It was reported the ship likely sprung a leak and went down less than one mile from the shoreline, and all crew members died. The captain of the ship was 29-year-old Henry Goodsell.' From there, the students proposed Goodsell as a possible identification to New Jersey State Police, and they in turn (in March of 2025) collected a DNA sample from one of Goodsell's descendants. A match was confirmed by NJSP on April 8, 2025, finally resolving the mystery of the Scattered Man John Doe. 'Identifying human remains is one of the most solemn and challenging responsibilities law enforcement is charged with,' Chief of County Detectives Patrick Snyder at the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office stated in the press release. 'Law enforcement works hard knowing that behind every case is a promise: that no one will be forgotten, and that we will pursue the truth until families have the answers they deserve.' The identification of Goodsell also demonstrates the potential of modern genetic analysis to solve cases that have gone even colder than we ever thought solvable. 'Using modern genealogy testing to identify bone fragments from the 19th century is a powerful reminder of our unwavering commitment to resolving cases no matter how old,' noted Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, NJSP superintendent. 'The ability to bring answers to families—even generations later—shows how far science and dedication can take us.' So now, it's 2025. You just saw the new Mission: Impossible and can't believe it's been 29 years since that first one came out. And you finally have some closure on whose skull it was that washed ashore on the beach all the way back in 1995. Henry Goodsell, age 29, captain of the Oriental. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
The Independent
30-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Remains found washed up on Jersey shore identified as missing 19th-century boat captain
A decades-old cold case at the Jersey Shore has been cracked after experts confirmed that skeletal remains found on three beaches belong to a 19th-century ship captain. Undergraduate student researchers at Ramapo College of New Jersey used advanced DNA technology to determine that bones from a leg, arm and fragments of a cranium all belonged to Captain Henry Goodsell - who died at sea 181 years ago at age 29. The bones were found separately on Ocean City, Margate and Longport beaches between 1995 and 2013. New Jersey State Police turned them over to researchers at the college's Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center last year. "We kind of kept going back and forth between, are they historic? Are they not historic?' NJSP Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Anna Delaney told NBC New York. "This is absolutely amazing because after all of this time, Henry has his name." While examining New Jersey shipwreck records, students uncovered newspaper articles from December 20 and 24, 1844. They learned that the Oriental, captained Goodsell, was carrying five crew members and 60 tons of marble to Philadelphia for Girard College when it sank near Brigantine Shoal in 1844, killing everyone on board. Researchers traced Goodsell's genetic relatives back to the 1600s and built family trees, revealing ancestral ties to Connecticut. They eventually located Goodsell's great-great-granddaughter in Maryland, whose DNA sample confirmed the captain's identity. Goodsell's family said they do not want his remains, so they will stay at a state repository indefinitely. 'Identifying human remains is one of the most solemn and challenging responsibilities law enforcement is charged with,' said Chief of County Detectives Patrick Snyder at the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office in a news release. 'Law enforcement works hard knowing that behind every case is a promise: that no one will be forgotten, and that we will pursue the truth until families have the answers they deserve,' he added.
NBC News
30-05-2025
- Science
- NBC News
Skeletal remains found at Jersey Shore identified as 19th century boat captain
There's been a break in 30-year-old cold case mystery at the Jersey Shore after experts confirmed skeletal remains found on three beaches belonged to a 19th-century boat captain. The bones from a leg, arm and fragments of a cranium discovered on the beaches of Ocean City, Margate and Longport between 1995 and 2013 had yielded no answers until now. Authorities said the remains belong to 29-year-old Captain Henry Goodsell, who died at sea 181 years ago. Advances in DNA technology first tied the bones to the same person after cold case detectives with the state police turned to the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center at Ramapo College of New Jersey last year. 'Our job was to figure out who that individual was that the bones belonged to,' Cairenn Binder of the college's IGG Center said. Initially, experts weren't even sure how old the bones were. 'We kind of kept going back and forth between, are they historic? Are they not historic?' New Jersey State Police Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Anna Delaney said. 'This is absolutely amazing because after all of this time, Henry has his name.' Students at the school launched a search for genetic relatives and built out family trees that revealed ancestral ties to Connecticut. They also started looking into records of shipwrecks. It was that creative step that really helped them narrow in on the person's identity. 'Delving into those they identified this ship, which then led to the ship captain,' Ramapo's IGG Center Director David Gurney explained. Goodsell was the captain of the Oriental which was a schooner that was transporting marble from Connecticut to Philadelphia for Girard College in 1844. But, on that voyage, the Oriental went down just off of the coast of Brigantine and the entire crew was killed. Investigators were able to track down Goodsell's great-great-granddaughter in Maryland. She provided a DNA sample that did confirm the captain's identity. 'To our knowledge, this is the oldest case that's ever been solved with investigative genetic genealogy,' Binder said.
Fox News
29-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Mysterious bones that washed up on Jersey Shore finally identified 180 years after tragedy
Bones that mysteriously washed up on the Jersey Shore over the past three decades were recently identified, thanks to cutting-edge technology and diligent students. Ramapo College announced the discovery in a May 21 press release. The remains were identified as belonging to Henry Goodsell, a captain who died in an 1844 shipwreck off the coast of South Jersey's Brigantine Shoal. (See the video at the top of this article.) The ship was carrying 60 tons of marble for Girard College, a preparatory school, when it sprung a leak and sank. Goodsell's bones didn't wash up until over a century later, when they were found on various beaches in the Garden State. "A skull washed ashore in Longport in 1995, and more bones were found in Margate in 1999, both in Atlantic County," Ramapo College's statement noted. "In 2013, additional remains were found in Ocean City, Cape May County." "Scattered Man John Doe went without a name for 30 years since traditional methods of investigation could not deliver an identification." Cairenn Binder, assistant director of the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) Center, told Fox News Digital that her team conducted traditional DNA testing to find a matching profile in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a national DNA profile database. "More identifications like these will be made now that we have advances in technology." "While there was no missing person sample on file that matched with the profiles from the bones, the bones all matched one another, so that's how [the New Jersey State Police] learned they were all connected before we began working on the case," she said. Over the past several months, Ramapo students have gleaned various details about Goodsell's life from old newspapers. He was 29 years old when he died, and his ancestors were among the earliest settlers in Connecticut. "Capt. Goodsell's ancestors lived in Litchfield and Fairfield Counties in Connecticut and had all been there since the 1600s – some of the earliest European Americans," Binder said. "He was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, but lived in Boston from at least the late 1830s." Goodsell also left behind a wife and two children when he perished; his family was financially devastated by the shipwreck. "The news reported that his family was left in 'very embarrassed' circumstances after the captain's death," Binder said. "There was a fundraiser held for Capt. Goodsell's widow a year after his death," she also said. Reports were that "she was destitute." Five or six other crew members were on the vessel, Binder noted, and all of them are believed to have died. One was found and buried while the others were lost at sea. Binder described the discovery as "extremely rare," noting that Ramapo researchers have not been able to find an older case where IGG was used to successfully identify remains. "There are a handful of cases where remains more than 100 years old have been identified with IGG, but this is the oldest we have been able to find," she said. "We believe that more identifications like these will be made now that we have the advances in technology to make them happen," she added. Authorities from various New Jersey law enforcement offices were also involved in the research. In a statement, Cape May County prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said the same technology is used to "bring offenders to justice." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP" "The hard work of Ramapo College's IGG Center and working with the New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit has demonstrated the power and accuracy of this new technology combined with classic detective work in solving complex cold cases that will bring offenders to justice and provide closure to victims' families," he noted.
Miami Herald
24-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Bones that washed up on New Jersey beaches are identified as the captain of a 19th-century ship traveling to Philly
PHILADELPHIA - Skeletal remains that washed up on several South Jersey beaches starting in 1995 have been identified as a 19th-century ship captain who was commanding a schooner bound for Philadelphia at the time of his death, bringing an end to a three-decade mystery. The remains were those of 29-year-old Henry Goodsell, who died in the wreck of a ship dubbed the "Oriental" off the coast of Brigantine in 1844, the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center said in a statement. The schooner was transporting about 60 tons of marble to be used in the construction of Girard College when it went down, according to reports from the time. Goodsell's remains began washing ashore in 1995, when his skull was discovered on a beach in Longport, Atlantic County. More bones were discovered in Margate in 1999, and additional remains washed up in Ocean City, Cape May County, in 2013. Due to their wide dispersal, the remains came to be known as "Scattered Man John Doe," a nickname that stuck for years as investigators failed to determine their owner's identity. But in 2023, the New Jersey State Police partnered with Ramapo College's genealogy center in Mahwah to crack the case. The center sent a sample to a forensics lab, which later uploaded its results to genealogy databases. As part of that effort, Ramapo genealogy students found ancestral ties for the remains dating back to the 1600s in Connecticut. The students also began investigating reported shipwrecks off the New Jersey coast, and found the wreck of the Oriental referenced in two newspaper reports from the time - one in the York Democratic Press, and another in the Boston Daily Bee. According to those reports, the Oriental began its journey from Connecticut to Philadelphia in December 1844. Onboard were five crew members, along with the marble slated for Girard College, when the ship began to leak. It sank about a mile from the shoreline off the coast of Brigantine Shoal, killing everyone aboard. The ship sank on Dec. 4, 1844, according to records maintained by the New Jersey Maritime Museum. Only one crew member's body, a man named John Keith, was discovered following the wreck, the Boston Daily Bee reported at the time. It was not clear how the wreck impacted Girard College, which was under construction when the Oriental went down. The school opened in 1848, and by June 1845 - six months after the wreck - work on the facility was "proceeding with a considerable degree of activity," according to a Public Ledger report from the time. Following the students' discoveries, New Jersey police in March collected a genetic sample from one of Goodsell's great-great grandchildren. Authorities confirmed Goodsell's identity in early April, bringing an end to the mystery, which is considered to be among the oldest cold cases solved using investigative genetic genealogy, Ramapo College said. "Identifying human remains is one of the most solemn and challenging responsibilities law enforcement is charged with," said Patrick Snyder, chief of county detectives at the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. "Law enforcement works hard knowing that behind every case is a promise: that no one will be forgotten, and that we will pursue the truth until families have the answers they deserve." The students' work, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said, not only identified Goodsell, but revealed a piece of local history, and showed how genetic genealogy techniques can be used in solving difficult cases. The work of the college and New Jersey State Police "has demonstrated the power and accuracy of this new technology combined with classic detective work in solving complex cold cases that will bring offenders to justice and provide closure to victim's families," he said. Goodsell's case, however, is not the first that Ramapo College's genealogy center has been a part of. The center, in fact, has consulted on some 92 cases, including identifying the partial remains of Maria Quinones Garcia, which were discovered in Pohatcong Township, N.J., in 2017, three years after she went missing from Allentown. ______ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
