Credit: Thurston County Sheriff's Office
On April 30, 2009, human remains were discovered in a field near Meadows Elementary School in Lacey, Washington. At the time, the remains could not be identified.
Over the years, the Thurston County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit worked closely with the Thurston County Coroner's Office, the King County Medical Examiner's Office, the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification's Missing Persons Unit, Othram, and the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab to pursue identification.
On Aug. 27, 2025, advanced DNA technology confirmed the remains belonged to Donald Myrel Nelson, who was reported missing to the Lacey Police Department in February 1989, just weeks before his 29th birthday. Donald's family assisted investigators throughout the process and have since been notified of the positive identification.
The Thurston County Sheriff's Office Cold Case Unit is asking anyone with information about Donald Nelson's disappearance in February 1989 to contact investigators at TCSOCold [email protected]. Reference case number 09-002677.
Republished courtesy of Thurston County Sheriff's Office