AZ AZ - Maricopa Co., Male UP1961, 35-45, burned remains in desert, Nov'94

[CarlK90245]

NamUs UP # 1961 https://identifyus.org/en/cases/1961

Unidentified Male

Found November 18, 1994 at 83rd Avenue and Dobbins, Maricopa County Arizona.

Demographics
Estimated age 35 - 45 years
Race: Unsure
Weight: , Cannot Estimate
Height: 69 inches (Estimated)

Body condition
Not recognizable - Charred/burned
Probable year of death 1994

Circumstances
Burned partial skeletal remains were found in the desert area near 83rd Avenue and Dobbins.

Physical
Deformities Abnormally large feet for height
Scars and marks Healing injuries on upper left side of body

Identifiers
Fingerprints: Fingerprint information is currently not available
Dental: Dental information / charting is available and entered
DNA: Complete - Insufficient DNA for profiling

 

[CarlK90245]

I just submitted this newly added MP Steven Smoot as a possible match to UP1961

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/23859/0

The details of these two cases (i.e., timeline, location, height, age and scar on the left shoulder) would seem to make these two cases a very strong possible comparison.

 

[carbuff]

Nice find. Yes, that looks strong to me.

 

[CarlK90245]

I just submitted this newly added MP Steven Smoot as a possible match to UP1961

https://www.findthemissing.org/en/cases/23859/0

The details of these two cases (i.e., timeline, location, height, age and scar on the left shoulder) would seem to make these two cases a very strong possible comparison.

Interesting that Steven Smoot's casefile is offline.

The UP casefile (UP1961) is still online though.

 

[carbuff]

One ruleout has been added:

First Name Last Name Year of Birth State LKA

Barry Duncan 1956 Arizona

 

[Moosebegoose]

On my travels I have come across:

Ronald Chris Peterson
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/4408dmaz.html

- Missing since 1994
- He is up to 70 inches tall, the report says 69"
- 44 years of age
- Missing from Maricopa County
- He has size 11 feet, which in my opinion are large, but only equal the same as a woman's 9???

 

[carbuff]

I think that might be backwards. A woman's 11 is a men's 9. Size 11 men's feet are quite large.

And I mapped the address where the body was found and where Petersen's car was found. They are a whopping two miles apart. https://goo.gl/maps/t2jRU9TuVsH2

This seriously needs to be submitted.

 

[Tulessa]

Was it submitted?

 

[Moosebegoose]

I have not submitted the above. Should I check for an email?

 

[carbuff]

Yes, and maybe PM CarlK to see if he had a contact when he submitted Smoot. Carl knows EVERYTHING.

 

[carbuff]

One ruleout has been added:

First Name Last Name Year of Birth State LKA

Barry Duncan 1956 Arizona

Updated Namus link: Unidentified Person Case

No new ruleouts.

 

[carbuff]

One ruleout has been added:

First Name Last Name Year of Birth State LKA

Barry Duncan 1956 Arizona

Barry Duncan is still the only exclusion.

 

[pamster]

General information. No indication as to which 27 victims were chosen. A few excerpts are below.

Scientists ID burned bodies using technique used for extracting DNA from woolly mammoths, Neanderthals​

Study involves DNA from 27 fire victims in Arizona's Maricopa County​

Date: February 29, 2024

"Fire victims may be identified through dental records if the teeth are preserved and such records exist. Oftentimes, DNA testing is the only way to identify badly burned bodies. Researchers can extract usable DNA from bones subjected to conditions between 200 and 250 degrees centigrade; between 350 and 550 degrees, there is a steep drop-off in the concentration of DNA.

... The researchers also devised a method to determine the heat of fires by looking at the bone discoloration patterns. Bones subject to temperatures below 200 degrees Celsius are typically well-preserved, while yellow and brown discoloration indicates temperatures between 200 and 300 degrees, and a black or smoked appearance range between 300 and 350 degrees. Bones subject to temperatures between 550 and 600 degrees may appear gray, with temperatures above that leading to a white or calcined appearance.

... With this knowledge, forensic scientists can select which bones may be the most appropriate for DNA extraction.

...In addition to fire temperature, the type of bone also matters. Long bones -- tibia, femur, ulna, and those in your hands and feet -- tend to be the best reservoirs because they are thick with a hard exterior that tends to preserve DNA, he explained.

Emery is currently working on another project with the Maricopa County burn remains, looking to identify cold-case victims.

"In these cases, the technology wasn't there at the time to identify them," he said. "The same techniques that are used in the field to get DNA from woolly mammoths, we're now using to get DNA from victims in cold cases." "

Laura Fulginiti, a forensic anthropologist with the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office in Arizona is one of the coauthors.

Source: Scientists ID burned bodies using technique used for extracting DNA from woolly mammoths, Neanderthals