Identified! CA - Long Beach - WhtMale 15-19 - 1392UMCA - 'Paid' stamp on hand- Jun'78 - Kenneth Nevada Williams

[Springrain]

Thank you! This case was ranks up there with Lady of the Dunes in terms of worst DNA we have worked with...

From the article it sounded incredibly difficult. I'm glad you were able to get it done.

I alerted mods to move the thread to Identified and add Kenneth's name!

 

[Feme98]

Excited to share that we were able to assist Long Beach Police Department and the FBI in identifying 15-year old Kenneth Nevada Williams, formerly known as Long Beach John Doe.
After 44 Years, Long Beach John Doe is Identified

After 44 Years, Long Beach John Doe is Identified

After more than four decades, Long Beach John Doe is now known to be Kenneth Nevada Williams, a 15-year-old who had run away from his home in the City of La Puente in 1978

dnasolves.com

Thank you very much, Othmam, for giving Kenneth his identity back after all these years.

May Kenneth rest in peace and my condolences to his family.

 

[dotr]

rbbm

Long Beach police identify ‘John Doe’ from 1978 as 15-year-old La Puente boy

After more than 40 years, officials have identified a boy found dead in Long Beach in 1978. Using a DNA sample, investigators learned that the body was that of 15-year-old Kenneth Nevada Williams, …

ktla.com

''Using a DNA sample, investigators learned that the body was that of 15-year-old Kenneth Nevada Williams, who had run away from his home in La Puente, according to a news release from the Long Beach Police Department.

He had never been reported missing, but by using genealogy, detectives tracked down living relatives of Williams, who then confirmed the boy’s identity.

While the events that led up to Williams’ death remain unknown, police said they have ruled out convicted serial killer Randy Kraft, who was possibly connected by circumstantial evidence but “ultimately ruled out as a suspect.”

“A teenager who went missing in the 1970s has been known only as ‘John Doe’ for decades until recent technology and dogged investigators led to his true identity,” said Donald Alway, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Justice delayed doesn’t have to be justice denied in this case. Kenneth Nevada Williams is now a known victim and identifying his killer is the next step in solving this case.”

 

[HmmMysterious]

From the DNASolves article:

• Kenneth went missing from La Puente, California
• He was never reported missing
• Kenneth attended Sierra Vista Middle School in 1977. He was enrolled in Fairgrove Academy on October 18,1977. Kenneth’s last day there was on October 27, 1977.

 

[JovanSrna]

Absolutely elated at this one being identified. A blockbuster year for you guys. Prominent but difficult cases all around.

 

[AkitasAreLovely]

I am constantly amazed by the work @othram has been doing, and this was just simply out of left field. I am so happy that Kenneth finally has his name back, and hopefully soon they can find out who did this to him.

 

[JennyJukes]

Wow - that reconstruction was pretty good! Wonder how he was never identified before - I guess because no-one was looking? RIP Kenneth.

 

[YaYa_521]

@othram Thank you for giving Kenneth both his name back and a shot at receiving justice. I stand in awe at the service you and your team provide to humanity. May God bless each of you.

Rest in peace, Kenneth.

 

[MadMcGoo]

The reconstruction was spot on! So he was not a victim of Randy Kraft. I hope his killer can be identified next!

Rest peacefully now Kenneth.

 

[othram]

@othram Thank you for giving Kenneth both his name back and a shot at receiving justice. I stand in awe at the service you and your team provide to humanity. May God bless each of you.

Rest in peace, Kenneth.

We were grateful that we were able to help!

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Othram is the hope for these types of cases! Rest in peace Kenneth.

 

[Myrrh]

Thank you Othram for all you do, giving these Does their names back! I was surprised that there was still skeletal remains, I thought for sure he was cremated.

RIP Kenneth.

 

[othram]

Thank you Othram for all you do, giving these Does their names back! I was surprised that there was still skeletal remains, I thought for sure he was cremated.

RIP Kenneth.

There was not a lot left...

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Thank you for giving him his name back, Othram team.

It's sad to think about what he went through. Only 15...a kid. Rest in Peace.

 

[othram]

Thank you for giving him his name back, Othram team.

It's sad to think about what he went through. Only 15...a kid. Rest in Peace.

...with family members wondering to this day what happened

 

[musicaljoke]

We were grateful that we were able to help!

It must be such an amazing experience to go through all the steps from finding unknown remains, to giving them a face and finally a name. It seems like a miracle. Thanks for doing this wonderful work.

 

[othram]

It must be such an amazing experience to go through all the steps from finding unknown remains, to giving them a face and finally a name. It seems like a miracle. Thanks for doing this wonderful work.

Thanks for the support. Means the world to be able to help (even if we can't reverse what originally happened).

 

[familymem]

Thanks for the support. Means the world to be able to help (even if we can't reverse what originally happened).

Means the world to the family as well. Without fail, every family member I spoke with was amazed and thankful for LE and the DNA lab for still caring about these cases even after 44 years.

 

[heartanium]

Thank you to everyone who worked to gave back his name, it's amazing to see all these older john/jane does getting identified with recent technology.

Rest in peace Kenneth.

 

[jules39osu]

Excited to share that we were able to assist Long Beach Police Department and the FBI in identifying 15-year old Kenneth Nevada Williams, formerly known as Long Beach John Doe.
After 44 Years, Long Beach John Doe is Identified

After 44 Years, Long Beach John Doe is Identified

After more than four decades, Long Beach John Doe is now known to be Kenneth Nevada Williams, a 15-year-old who had run away from his home in the City of La Puente in 1978

dnasolves.com

You guys are THE BEST!! How very sad that he was never reported missing. Thank you for giving him his name back.