June 3, 2025
**PRESS RELEASE**
New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office and Southeast Missouri State University Team with Othram to Identify Portageville John Doe.
A man, whose remains were recovered from the Mississippi River in June 2022, has been identified as Robert Eaton, missing from Elizabeth, Indiana.
On June 2, 2022, the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a human body that was spotted in the Mississippi River at Portageville, Missouri. Officers responded and recovered the remains, which were transported to a medical examiner for autopsy. The remains were those of a white male between the ages of 18 and 29, approximately 5’10” in height, and were estimated to have been in the river for a minimum of two to three months. No signs of trauma were noted. The case was entered into NamUs as UP 96458. A traditional DNA profile was developed for comparison to missing persons, but no matches were returned.
Over the next two years, New Madrid County law enforcement officials worked diligently to identify Portageville John Doe, looking into potential missing persons matches and following up on tips provided by the public. Unfortunately, none of these tips led to a positive identification. In June of 2024, New Madrid County Sheriff’s investigators contacted Dr. Jenifer Bengtson, professor of anthropology at nearby Southeast Missouri State University, to consult on the case. Dr. Bengtson and her students traveled to Portageville and met with investigators and Coroner George Delisle to examine the remains and select samples for further testing.
They completed an updated dental inventory and analysis and entered those data into NamUs. They also used literature-based and bone chemistry research to prioritize samples for advanced DNA testing. These samples were sent to Othram, where their scientists were able to build a comprehensive SNP profile using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing,® despite significant DNA degradation. While Dr. Bengtson and her students continued to fine tune the decedent’s biological profile, Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team worked to develop new leads in the case, which were returned to investigators.
Following up on these leads, New Madrid County Sheriff’s investigators found that one of the potential relatives in the genealogy report had made social media posts regarding a missing loved one who matched the demographic profile developed for Portageville John Doe. In April of 2025, investigators interviewed these relatives and collected familial reference samples for confirmation testing using Othram’s KinSNP® rapid relationship testing. This testing confirmed that Portageville John Doe is Robert J. Eaton, a 26-year-old man who was reported missing from Elizabeth, Indiana, in February of 2022.
Sheriff Joey Higgerson would like to add, “We are especially grateful to Dr. Bengston and the Anthropology Department at Southeast Missouri State University; because of their tireless efforts, a family who has been searching for their son for the last two years finally has closure. On Friday May 30th we met with members of Mr. Eaton’s family who traveled to Missouri to retrieve his remains and take them home to the Louisville, KY area. They assured us that they are finally at peace, and they took some comfort in the fact that this case opened the door to new techniques that will change the way we investigate these cases in New Madrid County.”
“While everything we do in law enforcement is a team effort, I want to give special recognition to New Madrid County Coroner George DeLisle, Deputy Jackie Hays, and Deputy Brandon Hanner. Deputies Hayes and Hanner traveled to Kentucky and Indiana to retrieve DNA samples and meet with law enforcement agencies there and Deputy Hays, in particular, saw this case through from beginning to end while treating Mr. Eaton’s family with dignity and respect. From this point forward, with the support of Southeast Missouri State’s Anthropology Department, we will strive to never have unidentified human remains in New Madrid County,” said Sheriff Higgerson.
The expenses related to this case were covered by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, supplemented by private donations to the Forensic Anthropology program at Southeast Missouri State University. The circumstances of Mr. Eaton’s disappearance and death are the subject of an ongoing investigation. Anyone with knowledge that might help advance this investigation should contact Harrison County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department at (812) 738-2195 or call the Harrison County Tip line at (812) 738-TIPP (8477).
