DELAND, Fla. — Volusia County deputies are much closer to identifying a man whose remains were found 18 years ago, thanks to modern technology and forensic practices.
DNA of a man found in 2006 in Deland has been extracted by forensic genetic genealogy firm Othram Labs Inc., Volusia County Sheriff’s Office detectives said.
Detectives teamed up with Othram Labs in October 2023 to help cultivate any leads to the man’s identity, a news release said.
The man, presumed to be a white male who stood at 6’1, was logged into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System leading up to his remains’ recovery.
More than a decade later in 2017, a composite sketch was made to illustrate how the man may have looked.
No information is known about the man's life.
The firm prides itself on successfully identifying human remains that help solve many unsolved cases, according to its website.
There have been more than 20,000 unsolved homicide cases in Florida since 1965, ranking it among the top 5 states in the country, according to the Murder Accountability Project.
Othram has been able to successfully identify several dozens of people who have died as soon as this year and as late as 40 years ago.
Now, Othram is conducting genetic research to successfully identify the man found in Deland.
The office partially funded the research, however, Othram is accepting donations to continue it after it agreed to perform the DNA extraction at a reduced cost.
The investigation is still ongoing.
If you have information that could help in the investigation, please contact Crime Stoppers of North East Florida at 888-277-TIPS, or use P3Tips on the mobile app, referencing case 06-866. You could receive a reward for your information, and you can remain anonymous.
