A New Jersey college center that focuses on identifying human remains has for the first time identified a missing person in an active investigation, officials said.
Staff and students from the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center identified a man whose remains, which were a foot and leg bones, were found in a creek in October 2021 near St. Louis, Missouri.
Though a cause of death has not been determined, it was a result that offered solace to the man’s survivors, said Cairenn Binder, assistant director of the Ramapo College center.
“It did resolve a missing persons case. The family was searching for their lost loved one and did not know where he was. This was something that gave answers for them that they were waiting for,” Binder told NJ Advance Media.
The outcome in Missouri was the first time that the Ramapo College center secured an identification in an active or “hot case,” defined as an unsolved crime or accident that remains under investigation, since it launched in December 2022.
Investigative genetic genealogy, commonly referred to as IGG, relies on advanced DNA testing and public records research, such as U.S. Census records and social media accounts.
“If a person recently went missing, we can sometimes find clues they left behind on the internet,” Binder said.
Students and staff at the center have made five other identifications, among approximately 65 cases brought to the center in the past 20 months.
“IGG has traditionally been used as a ‘last ditch’ investigative effort, primarily in cold cases where there are no other investigative avenues to pursue. Seeing as how this relatively new technology has effectively given new hope in thousands of DNA investigations, it should be looked at earlier in investigations to more quickly resolve cases before they go cold,” Binder said.
Investigative genetic genealogy has drawn some criticism stemming from the possible impact on privacy, due process and Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
“It’s a debate that’s constantly happening. The goal is to identify the unidentified. People don’t have a right to privacy when their DNA is left at a crime scene,” Binder said.
No arrests have been made stemming from the Ramapo Center’s work.
The Ramapo center is the first center in the nation to offer case work, research and education in investigative genetic genealogy, according to the college. Its 15-week certificate program offers four classes per year with has space for up to 25 students per class, with a $6,000 tuition fee. Binder is director of the certificate program.
David Gurney, the center’s director, is an assistant professor of law and society at Ramapo College who previously had a fellowship with the Wrongful Conviction Clinic — now known as the University of Arizona Innocence Project — at the University of Arizona.
“The goal is to secure justice, for the victims of violent crimes, for the people whose identities have been lost after their remains went unidentified, and for people who were wrongfully accused or convicted of crimes,” Gurney told NJ Advance Media in 2022.
Ramapo College’s involvement in the Missouri case dates to February when Lindsay Trammell, forensic anthropologist with the St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office, contacted the center based on the recommendation of a colleague, not identified by the college, who previously partnered with the center.
Within a month, extract from previous DNA testing had been sent to Genologue in Tucker, Georgia, for whole genome sequencing to create a DNA profile. Bioinformatics was performed by Intermountain Forensics in Salt Lake City, Utah, the college said.
In May, a profile was generated and uploaded to GEDmatch Pro, a free, open-source website where people may submit their DNA data.
“When we upload an advanced DNA profile for an individual, the output that we get is a list of genetic matches. It could be a parent or cousin, but in this case, we saw a list that included fairly close cousins,” Binder said.
Within days, students at the center had identified as a possibility the unidentified person who went missing in 2021. A relative was contacted and agreed to provide a DNA sample.
On July 16, 2024, the center’s identification was confirmed by the St. Louis County Police Department.
The man’s name is not being released publicly at the request of his family, Binder said.
Trammell, in a statement released by Ramapo College, praised the center’s work.
“My experience working with Ramapo staff and students has been exceptional, not only because of the identification that allowed one family to have answers about what happened to their loved one, but because they are genuinely invested and interested in their work,” Trammell said.
While most of the center’s cases are from New Jersey, it also has done work in Arizona, California, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin, the college said.
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
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