Navy Vet David E. Reed. Credit: Othram.
Working with philanthropist and genealogist Carla Davis, Othram has identified two sets of unrelated human remains found in 2018 and 2020.
Meridian John Doe
In May 2018, skeletal remains from an unknown man were found scattered in a wooded area near 145 Highway 80 near Meridian, Mississippi. The man was found without identification documents and there were few clues to who he might be. Investigators were unable to determine the ancestry of the unknown man, but they estimate that he might have been between 5’3” and 6’1” feet. The case was entered into NamUs as UP79041, but with little to go on, the case soon went cold.
In 2021, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation teamed with Othram to use Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to help generate new leads that might identify the unknown man or a member of his family. Skeletal remains were sent to Othram’s laboratory, DNA was extracted, and a genealogical profile of the unknown man was built. The funding to support this case was provided by Mississippi native Davis, who also executed the genealogical research necessary to generate investigative leads for the agency. Investigators used the leads to complete their own investigation and confirm that the unknown man was in fact, David E. Reed, a Navy veteran born in 1951.
An investigation continues into David's death. Updates will be posted as we learn more. Anyone with information about this case should contact Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Agent Christa Groom at 1-228-234-1525.
D'iberville John Doe
In April 2020, the body of an unknown man was found in the Gulf Coast city of D'iberville, Mississippi about 20 feet from the shore in the water. Similar to Reed, this body was found without identification documents and there were few clues to who he might be. Perhaps the only distinguishing detail is that he was found wearing a sweatshirt, featuring an illustration of an alien and the phrase "Nobody Freakin’ Cares." The case was entered into NamUs as UP71601.
In 2021, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's office and D'iberville Police Department teamed with Othram to use Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to help generate new leads that might identify the unknown man or his next of kin. Davis again provided the funding to support the case, as well as executed the genealogical research.
Once Davis built the genealogical profile of the unknown man, research produced investigative leads that were then returned to law enforcement. An additional investigation by D'iberville Police Department investigators confirmed the identity of the man as Dean Jeffrey.
Cause of death remains unclear and the investigation continues. Anyone with information that might aid the investigation is encouraged to contact Captain Griffin at 228-396-4252
Republished courtesy of DNASolves. You can view cases not yet funded here.