Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Burks worked with the Harrison County Coroner’s Office, the Harrison County Prosecutor’s Office and the Cedar Hill Cemetary in Corydon to exhume the skeletal remains of a unidentified body recovered on May, 25th 1992.
The body was recovered from the Ohio River, in Harrison County near Evans Landing. Burks contacted ISP’s Indianapolis Regional Crime Lab and worked with analyst Lisa Robins to obtain a DNA profile from the remains. The newly developed DNA profile was entered into CODIS. With a 99.9999% probability, the DNA submission identified Kenneth Wayne Watters (dob: 07-13-1961) through a profile previously developed from a DNA submission of Watters’ mother.
Watters had been reported missing to the Louisville Police Department by his family on Dec. 2, 1991. Watters’ family had subsequently submitted DNA comparison standards to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification through the Louisville Police Dept. Burks and coronor Gary Gilley met with Watters’ family on August 28 and delivered their findings.
A complete investigation of Watters’ cause and manner of death is being conducted. A forensic anthropologist is being contacted to complete a full examination of Mr. Watters’ remains.
Republished courtesy of Harrison County Sheriff's Department.