Mysterious Decades-Old Missing Person Case Solved After Relative Uploads DNA To GEDMatch

In 1970 an Oregon man discovered a body with 'clear signs of foul play'.

NPR reports that 'The identity of the young woman remained a mystery — until Thursday.'

State authorities identified the woman as Sandra Young, a teenager from Portland who went missing between 1968 and 1969. Her identity was discovered through advanced DNA technology, which has helped solve stubborn cold cases in recent years. The case's breakthrough came last year in January, when a person uploaded their DNA to the genealogy database GEDMatch and the tool immediately determined that the DNA donor was a distant family member of Young....

From there, a genetic genealogist working with local law enforcement helped track down other possible relatives and encouraged them to provide their DNA. That work eventually led to Young's sister and other family members, who confirmed that Young went missing around the same time.

Thanks to Slashdot reader Tony Isaac for sharing the news.

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