Another example of how forensic genetics—which combines DNA evidence and genetics to find biological connections between populations—is helping detectives solve cold cases by identifying the remains of unknown individuals discovered decades ago.
US authorities say the remains of a Portland, Oregon teenager who disappeared in the late 1960s have been identified through advanced DNA testing more than 50 years after her disappearance.
In 1970, a Boy Scout leader found the remains buried in a shallow grave on Key Island, Oregon. Investigators were unable to identify them at the time, but trauma to the body indicated foul play, Oregon State Police announced in a press release.
More than half a century later, investigators using advanced DNA techniques confirmed the remains were those of Sandra Young, a student at Grant High School in Portland, who had been missing since 1968 or 1969, police said.
The discovery occurred in January 2023, when someone was immediately recognized as a distant family member when they uploaded their DNA results to the GEDMatch genealogy database, according to Oregon State Police.
Investigators worked with family members to obtain additional DNA samples that were uploaded to a database and family trees were created, which led to Young's identification, officials said.
Young, born June 25, 1951, was last seen in Portland. His remains were found at the northern tip of Sawhvi Island, 16 kilometers north of the city.
She appears to be a genetic match to a sister who uploaded her DNA sample to the database, police said. Family members told authorities they believed Young had disappeared from Portland around the same time the remains were found, according to the news release.
The case represents another example of how forensic genomics—which combines DNA evidence and genetics to find biological connections between populations—is helping detectives solve cold cases and identify the remains of unknown individuals discovered decades ago.
“Sandra Young has regained her identity after 54 years,” said Dr. Nisi Vance of the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office. “His story represents a remarkable amount of persistence and cooperation between family members, detectives, the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office and Parabone NanoLabs, the laboratory we hired.”
The Portland Police Bureau “is encouraged to conduct an additional investigation, if possible, to determine the circumstances surrounding Sandy Young's death,” the statement said.
Before the match was discovered, agents who investigated the case and were able to predict gender for years, and as technology advanced, they also predicted their facial features in 2021.
“This is another example of the innovative ways the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office and investigative genetics are helping Oregonians find closures,” Vance said. “This technology gives investigators a powerful ability to assist all Oregon agencies in solving their cold case mysteries.”