Oldest case solved with genetics genealogy: 60 years in the making. (find, public)
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Back in 1961, a young hitchhiker was killed in an auto accident in Bibb County, Alabama. The boy didn’t carry any ID and despite the efforts of the locals, identifying him provided impossible. He was buried with a headstone that read, “ “Unknown in life but recognized in death.”
If you go to page 19 of this file, you can read many details from an FBI publication from late 1961:
After 60 years, the boy has been identified and his brother has been notified. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this story. My mom was on duty that night at the hospital and the community has never forgotten this young man. He was buried with the community’s support and love.
There was a press conference today and here is the al.com article with a YouTube press conference video:
RIP Daniel Paul “Danny” Armantrout, your brother was very emotional to learn about what happened to you. There will be a memorial service in late Dec. with your brother and his wife. Great stuff.
Back in 1961, a young hitchhiker was killed in an auto accident in Bibb County, Alabama. The boy didn’t carry any ID and despite the efforts of the locals, identifying him provided impossible. He was buried with a headstone that read, “ “Unknown in life but recognized in death.”
If you go to page 19 of this file, you can read many details from an FBI publication from late 1961:
After 60 years, the boy has been identified and his brother has been notified. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this story. My mom was on duty that night at the hospital and the community has never forgotten this young man. He was buried with the community’s support and love.
There was a press conference today and here is the al.com article with a YouTube press conference video:
RIP Daniel Paul “Danny” Armantrout, your brother was very emotional to learn about what happened to you. There will be a memorial service in late Dec. with your brother and his wife. Great stuff.
I knew of his case but it wasn't one I followed. I'm glad Colleen was able to identify him. If anyone can, it's her. She is the one who pioneered genetic genealogy for Jane and John Does. She contacted various labs to find ones who could do the different stages of being able to get autosomal DNA from remains.
It was slow going in the beginning because the remains were so degraded, they could not get enough DNA from them. Someone ended up writing code to fill in the gaps. It's totally amazing how these 3 to 5 labs did it for Colleen and her team to give people their identities back.
The article is heart breaking. Apparently another brother also ran away, has not been heard from since then. Hopefully he will see the news about his brother being identified. I also see Colleen is going to try to work her magic to find him.
From the article-
Quote:
Shortly after Danny ran away, West said, the third brother did the same. He has never been heard from by family since then. If he’s still alive, he would be 79 years old now.
The surviving brother believes Danny was trying to hitchhike from Tennessee to California to enlist the Army as well when he was picked up in Alabama and then killed in the crash.
Gray and his YouTube audience of “Freaks” funded the expensive and time-consuming investigation that required almost a year of work to gain viable DNA for a SNP profile, according to Identifinders International.
Identifinders International now plans to help try to find Danny’s other brother who ran away.
I recall reading about this case some time ago, when his body was exhumed in order to obtain potential DNA. I am glad he has finally be identified!
One thing...I REAAALLLY wish the news media would stop using that TERRIBLE artist made (sketch? computer rendering?)...it hardly resembles the boy in real life at all. Hopefully a picture from life will be made available. (I recall one old article that showed a postmortem photo...he looks nothing like that modern day composite).
I recall reading about this case some time ago, when his body was exhumed in order to obtain potential DNA. I am glad he has finally be identified!
One thing...I REAAALLLY wish the news media would stop using that TERRIBLE artist made (sketch? computer rendering?)...it hardly resembles the boy in real life at all. Hopefully a picture from life will be made available. (I recall one old article that showed a postmortem photo...he looks nothing like that modern day composite).
Agreed, the 1961 sketch wasn’t very good. The FBI document I linked to had postmortem photos.
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