San Mateo County John Doe (2023) is now Identified
San Mateo County Coroner’s Office and California DOJ Team with Othram to Identify a 2023 John Doe
''In January 2023, an unidentified male was found in San Mateo County, California. There were no identifying documents or clues to the man's identity, and investigators were unable to determine who the man was. In an effort to identify the him, the San Mateo County Coroner's Office reached out to the California Department of Justice for additional assistance.
In September 2023, the California Department of Justice teamed with Othram to determine if advanced forensic DNA testing could help establish an identity for the unidentified man. The casework in this case was funded through the Roads to Justice (RTJ) program. Forensic evidence was sent by the California Department of Justice to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man and returned the DNA profile to investigators.
In the course of the investigation, law enforcement identified a candidate relative of the unknown man. A reference DNA sample was provided for comparison testing. Othram used KinSNP® Rapid Familial Relationship Testing to support the hypothesized relationship. A follow up investigation confirmed that the unknown man is, in fact, Milton Anthony Steffens. Steffens was born in 1937 in San Francisco.''