The exhumation. Credit: Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Dave Marshak, along with law enforcement, medical and genealogical partners, is pleased to announce a positive identification in a decades-old John Doe case.
A previously unidentified body exhumed last fall from an unmarked grave in a North St. Louis County cemetery was identified as Benny Leo Olson from Illinois.
Olson's body was found in the Mississippi River south of Festus in September 1994 and buried in 1995. Numerous unsuccessful efforts were made through the years to identify him, but recent advancements in DNA technology ultimately proved successful.
Sheriff's Office Detective Lee Morris and Analyst Heather Missey partnered with Division Director Kathleen Diebold Hargrave of the Regional Medical Examiner's Office, Forensic Genetic Genealogist Alyssa Feller, Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Lindsay Trammell of the St. Louis County Office of the Medical Examiner, and Captain Jerry Endicott, Jail Administrator of the Madison County Sheriff's Office.
The team's medical and genetics experts worked to extract and sequence Olson's DNA. The law enforcement team members then scoured databases and records to match the profile to a person.
In the end, the team is proud of what they accomplished.
"I am honored to have assisted the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in identifying Mr. Olson after so many years," said Feller. "This case resolution is a testament to the power of investigative genetic genealogy to give John and Jane Does their names back and provide answers to family."
"This is one more example of how Law Enforcement across our Nation continues to work hand in hand with the goals of solving crimes and keeping our citizens safe," said Madison County Sheriff Jeff Connor. "Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak and I both uphold our commitment to utilize whatever resources are available to bring some type of closure to families of victims, when possible."
"We are deeply grateful to all the dedicated professionals whose collaboration and persistence made this identification possible," said Diebold Hargrave. "This case highlights the remarkable impact of teamwork across forensic science, law enforcement, and genetic genealogy in bringing long-awaited answers to restore his identity and bring closure for his loved ones."
Republished courtesy of Jefferson County Sheriff's Office