Credit: GenGenies
On January 21, 2000, a man was found dead in the passenger seat of a burning Chrysler Imperial near East Broadway Boulevard and North Kolb Road in Tucson, Arizona. Authorities suspected homicide and deliberate arson but could not determine the exact cause of death or identify the victim.
In October 2025, the Tucson Police Department (TPD) partnered with GenGenies to determine whether forensic investigative genetic genealogy could identify the victim. With funding from GenGenies’ donors, Resolve Forensics performed DNA testing and produced a usable SNP profile, while Parabon NanoLabs completed the bioinformatics analysis. In March 2026, TPD paid to upload the unknown sample’s profile to GEDmatch. Working pro bono, GenGenies developed and submitted a candidate lead within 24 hours.
"It's just another example of how public and private partners can work together, combining their resources and funding to solve these cases. What we're doing works," said Britta Brewer, Executive Director of GenGenies.
After 26 years and a lengthy wait for confirmation testing, Tucson John Doe 2000 was identified as Jack Lee Prehoda in September 2026. Learning the victim’s name marked a major development, but questions remain about how he died and who was responsible. Investigators continue seeking information that could provide answers and accountability in this long-standing case.
Using advances in technology, TPD enhanced old VHS surveillance footage as part of its continued investigation. The clearer images showed a person at a nearby 7-Eleven shortly before or around the time of the fatal fire. Police consider the individual a potential witness and have asked the public for help locating them.
A reward of up to $2,500 is available for information that helps locate the potential witness shown in this video shared by KVOA News 4 Tucson. If you have information about Jack Prehoda's murder, contact 88-CRIME at 520-882-7463.
Data from GenGenies