Summary
In February 2022, the remains of an unidentified individual were found in a wooded area behind a business just east of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Investigators arrived at the scene and determined the remains were that of a black male between the ages of 50 and 80 years of age. At his time of death, the man stood 6' 3" tall and weighed 204 pounds. He had partially gray hair and brown eyes. It is believed that the man lived in or around the wooded area where he was found. No other identifying characteristics for the man were available.
Since the discovery of the unknown man’s remains, investigators have diligently pursued various leads about his identity. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as #UP103162. To help visualize the man's appearance during his life, an artist rendering was created and released to the public in hopes that it would generate new leads about the man’s identity. Despite the exhaustive efforts of law enforcement, the man’s identity has remained a mystery.
In 2024, the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office once again teamed with Othram to leverage advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy to develop investigative leads in hopes of identifying the man. Previously, the Dekalb County District Attorney's Office teamed with Othram to identify Rebecca Burke. Anyone with information that could aid in the investigation is encouraged to contact the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office at 404-371-2561 and reference case number 22-0298.
A DNASolves crowdfund has been created to raise funds for the casework costs. Anyone can contribute here. We are grateful for your support.
Michael Vogen
Director of Case Management
Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.