Othram - General Discussion - #3

[dotr]

In February 2024, skeletal remains found near Gold Canyon, Arizona were identified as 30-year-old David Bertschinger thanks to the dedicated work of the Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office and Othram’s advanced forensic DNA technology. No one should be left unidentified, and this technology is enabling answers for everyone — fast.

Arizona's Gold Canyon John Doe (2024) is Identified

Pinal County Medical Examiner's Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 2024 John Doe

dnasolves.com

AZ Post in thread 'NamUs as UP116077 - Gold Canyon Male 20 - 65/ Hispanic/Latino or Native American.'

Nov 15, 2025

His NamUs page has been removed.

Pinal County Medical Examiner Case Search

ME/C Case Number 24-0151

His case file there has since updated to reflect that he was identified as a 30yo non-Hispanic white male, David Bertschinger. COD undetermined.

Case Details

EDIT: If you search his name on GoFundMe, you'll find a fundraiser for burial expenses with matching details. It seems he was from Nebraska.

EDIT 2: I believe this would be his Facebook profile: David Bertschinger

• The4TierBridge

• 

 

[Neverlostakways]

Happy to help. Email us at [email protected].

I sent an email to [email protected]. The response I got was that these have to come from Law Enforcement... So disappointing

 

[othram]

I sent an email to [email protected]. The response I got was that these have to come from Law Enforcement... So disappointing

We need law enforcement permission to work a case, especially because law enforcement has the evidence that we would need to build a DNA profile.

 

[othram]

The Toronto Police Service has announced the identification of Alcides, a man found in Toronto in 2008 who investigators later discovered came from Portugal. TPS was one of Othram’s earliest partners, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support their mission. Our sincere thanks to Detective Steve Smith, Detective Mike Kelly, and their teams for their leadership and continued collaboration in delivering answers to families.

After Seventeen Years, Toronto John Doe (2008) is Identified

 

[dotr]

The Toronto Police Service has announced the identification of Alcides, a man found in Toronto in 2008 who investigators later discovered came from Portugal. TPS was one of Othram’s earliest partners, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support their mission. Our sincere thanks to Detective Steve Smith, Detective Mike Kelly, and their teams for their leadership and continued collaboration in delivering answers to families.

After Seventeen Years, Toronto John Doe (2008) is Identified

D

Resolved Post in thread 'Canada- Toronto, Bloor St. E. /Parliament St., UID John Doe, European, 29 March, 2008, 'Project 31', (IGG), DNA- Alcides, 2025.'

Nov 19, 2025

Police use genetic genealogy to identify man found dead in Toronto 18 years ago

Police have now been able to identify the remains of a man found in Toronto’s downtown core nearly 18 years ago.

www.cp24.com

“The initial IGG findings were that the man was from Europe. Subsequent investigation resulted in a bulletin being circulated among online groups from a specific region in Europe,” police said in a news release issued on Wednesday.

“Shortly thereafter two tips were provided, one from Ontario and one from overseas, that the unknown man could be a man named Alcides.”

Investigators were able to locate a relative living overseas and a DNA sample was sent to the...

• dotr

• 

 

[othram]

In 2001, 56-year-old Herman Wilder was brutally beaten to death with a wooden stake outside his apartment in Dahlonega, Georgia. After 24 years of investigation, the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office teamed with Othram Inc. to apply advanced forensic genetic tools and identified the suspect as Carroll Dean Burrell, although he is now deceased. We need to apply this technology to every unsolved homicide.

The 2001 Murder of Herman Wilder is Now Solved

 

[dotr]

In 2001, 56-year-old Herman Wilder was brutally beaten to death with a wooden stake outside his apartment in Dahlonega, Georgia. After 24 years of investigation, the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office teamed with Othram Inc. to apply advanced forensic genetic tools and identified the suspect as Carroll Dean Burrell, although he is now deceased. We need to apply this technology to every unsolved homicide.

The 2001 Murder of Herman Wilder is Now Solved

D

GA Thread 'GA- Herman Wilder, 56, fatally beaten w. a wooden stake, outside his apart., Lumpkin County, May, 2001, DNA- Carroll Dean Burrell, 41,(dec.), 2025.'

Nov 19, 2025

The 2001 Murder of Herman Wilder is Now Solved

Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office Teams with Othram to Identify the Suspect in the 2001 Murder of Herman Wilder

dnasolves.com

''In May 2001, 56-year-old Herman Wilder was beaten with a wooden stake and killed outside his apartment in Dahlonega, a small city in Lumpkin County, Georgia, about 70 miles north of Atlanta. The Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office responded and began collecting evidence and investigating the homicide. It was determined that the blood from an unknown individual was on the wooden picket and on a hat belonging to the suspect that were located at the scene. Both items were tested for DNA and the unknown profiles from the wooden...

• dotr

• 

 

[othram]

For any French members of Websleuths, we were covered a few days ago in Le Monde:

Chez Othram, le « Google du crime », la résolution des « cold cases » grâce à l’ADN

En combinant séquençage de l’ADN et sites de généalogie, l’entreprise de biotechnologie a permis la résolution de nombreux « cold cases » aux Etats-Unis. En France, où la généalogie génétique est interdite pour des raisons éthiques, le garde des sceaux, Gérald Darmanin, a annoncé son intention...

www.lemonde.fr

 

[othram]

The Horry County Coroner’s Office partnered with Othram to resolve a nine-year mystery, identifying the man who drowned in a Myrtle Beach hotel pool in 2016 as 22-year-old Malquan Tyreek Hawkins.

Horry County John Doe (2016) is Identified

 

[dotr]

The Horry County Coroner’s Office partnered with Othram to resolve a nine-year mystery, identifying the man who drowned in a Myrtle Beach hotel pool in 2016 as 22-year-old Malquan Tyreek Hawkins.

Horry County John Doe (2016) is Identified

SC Post in thread 'SC - Myrtle Beach, BlkMale 18-30, UP15051, drowned in resort pool, silver Nike low top shoes, Feb'16 (Malquan Tyreek Hawkins)'

Oct 31, 2025

Human remains found in North Myrtle Beach 9 years ago are now identified. How did the man get here?

After 9 years, Horry County coroner identifies a John Doe as 22-year-old Malquan Tyreek Hawkins of North Carolina. His death has been ruled accidental.

www.postandcourier.com

Nearly a decade after discovering the remains of a John Doe in North Myrtle Beach, officials have finally identified the man.

Authorities said 22-year-old Malquan Tyreek Hawkins of North Carolina was found in a swimming pool in 2016.

• iulia

• 

 

[othram]

The Ventura County Coroner’s Office used Othram’s tech to help break a 44-year mystery and identify remains found in 1981 near Highway 33 as 31-year-old Vietnam veteran Thomas Aquinas Cooney.

After 44 Years, Ventura County John Doe (1981) is Identified

 

[iamshadow21]

The Ventura County Coroner’s Office used Othram’s tech to help break a 44-year mystery and identify remains found in 1981 near Highway 33 as 31-year-old Vietnam veteran Thomas Aquinas Cooney.

After 44 Years, Ventura County John Doe (1981) is Identified

His Doe thread: CA - CA - Ojai, WhtMale UP60166, 20-29, on Highway 33, glasses and clothing, Feb'81

 

[othram]

The Washington County Coroner’s Office worked with Othram to resolve the 2022 case of a man found in Utah, identifying him as James Leek and bringing closure to his family.

Utah's Washington City John Doe (2022) is Now Identified

 

[othram]

The Canadian County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner teamed up with Othram to crack a 35-year cold case, finally identifying the woman found near a creek in 1990 as 29-year-old Joann Marie Rozelle.

After 35 Years, Canadian County Jane Doe is Identified

 

[othram]

Four cases solved and announced in the last 24 hours.

 

[iamshadow21]

The Washington County Coroner’s Office worked with Othram to resolve the 2022 case of a man found in Utah, identifying him as James Leek and bringing closure to his family.

Utah's Washington City John Doe (2022) is Now Identified

No Doe thread that I can find for Jamie. (His name is misspelled once on the announcement page, btw, @othram )

 

[iamshadow21]

The Canadian County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner teamed up with Othram to crack a 35-year cold case, finally identifying the woman found near a creek in 1990 as 29-year-old Joann Marie Rozelle.

After 35 Years, Canadian County Jane Doe is Identified

Joann's Missing thread: OK - OK - Joann Marie Rozelle, 29, 14 June 1989

Joann's Doe thread: OK - OK - Geary/El Reno, Wht/Ntv/HispFem 25-45, UP6554, off Rte 66, clothes, filigree heart ring, Jan'90

 

[dotr]

The Washington County Coroner’s Office worked with Othram to resolve the 2022 case of a man found in Utah, identifying him as James Leek and bringing closure to his family.

Utah's Washington City John Doe (2022) is Now Identified

D

UT Thread 'UT- Base of mountain, Washington City John Doe,#UP101105, blunt force trauma due to fall, Aug., 2022, DNA-Jamie Ashton Leek, born June 15, 1973, 2025.'

Nov 26, 2025

Utah's Washington City John Doe (2022) is Now Identified

Washington City Police Department and Utah Department of Public Safety Team with Othram to Identify a 2022 John Doe

dnasolves.com

''In August 2022, the remains of an unidentified individual were found at the base of a mountain/red rock hillside in Washington City, Utah. The Washington City Police Department responded and began collecting evidence and investigating. They determined the remains were a man but no identification was found. He was determined to have been between 25 and 35 years old, 5'5" to 5'11" tall and he was wearing size "L" pants, an XL-size hoodie with "PPG Pittsburgh Paints" logo on the front, socks and size 11...

• dotr

• 
• 

 

[othram]

It has been a productive week! Our mobile app is available in the Apple and Google stores for anyone who wants to follow solved cases in real time. If you want to help send more unidentified persons home for the holidays, consider supporting a DNASolves case.

Cases that need funding: Pending Cases

Subscribe to solve: https://dnasolves.com/subscribe/

 

[othram]

New York State Police, using Othram technology, has identified remains found in a drained swamp off Woods Road in Greenville, NY in 1991. The identified man is Mikolai Celesz, reported missing from Port Jervis, NY in 1976 at age 76.

After 34 years, Upstate NY John Doe (1991) is Identified