After 39 Years, Yavapai County John Doe (1986) is Identified
Yavapai County Offices of the Medical Examiner & Sheriff Teams with Othram to Identify a 1986 Homicide Victim
''In December 1986, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found by hikers in a field about 150 yards behind the Hub Cafe in Cordes Junction, a small town north of Phoenix in Yavapai County, Arizona. The Yavapai County Office of the Medical Examiner performed an autopsy and determined that the remains belonged to a man who was a victim of homicide. The man had suffered blunt force trauma to the head and had two distinct skull fractures. Clothes found with the remains included white socks, blue jeans, a leather belt, a checked western-style shirt and a t-shirt with the logo of a shark that included the words, "Frank's Shark Killers" and a Riviera Beach, Florida address.
Despite extensive investigative efforts, this individual remained unidentified for decades and he became known as Yavapai County John Doe. His case was entered into NamUs as UP114489. Investigators have searched for leads for almost four decades, but without a name, the mystery remains unsolved.
In 2024, the Yavapai County Medical Examiner teamed with Othram to leverage advanced DNA testing to assist in the identification of the unknown man. Forensic evidence was submitted to Othram’s laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from skeletal remains and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive DNA profile. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile in a genealogical search to generate new investigative leads in the case, including the identification of potential relatives of the unidentified man.
A reference DNA sample was collected from a potential relative and compared to the John Doe's DNA profile using Othram's KinSNP® Rapid Relationship Testing. This comparison confirmed a biological relationship and the man is now identified as Arthur Humphrey, who was born December 9, 1939. Humphrey would have been about 47 years old in 1986. It is unclear when he died and the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the cases as a homicide.''
