PA PA-Allegheny, Pittsburgh John Doe, #UP17266, suffered blunt force, fell in river & drowned, Aug.,'92, DNA- Allan Barry Keener, born Feb.,1940, 2026.

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After 33 Years, Pittsburgh John Doe (1992) is Now Identified

Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner Teams with Othram to Identify a 1992 Homicide Victim

dnasolves.com

''In August 1992, the remains of an unidentified individual were found by Pittsburgh River Rescue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh Police Department and the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner responded and began investigating. The remains were determined to be a White man who stood approximately 5' 11" and weighed 175 pounds. The investigation revealed that two men had an altercation near the river. One of the men suffered blunt trauma to the head, falling into the river where he drowned. Police arrested Arthur Wylie, who was later convicted of murder for killing the man. However, the victim went unidentified.

Despite a lengthy investigation, the victim could not be identified and became known as Pittsburgh John Doe (1992). Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP17266.''

n 2024, the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas where it was determined that advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the man. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a forensic search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.

''Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified man. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man, who is now known to be Allan Barry Keener, born February 5, 1940. Keener, who was transient and originally from Kentucky, was 52 when he was killed.''

 

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Notice of Privacy

Feb. 11, 2026 rbbm
'Allegheny County’s longest cold case for an unidentified victim has been solved using DNA technology.'

''Keener’s identity was found using forensic technology from the genetic genealogy company Othram, which used DNA from the victim to build a DNA profile and narrow down possible matching individuals.''

“As long as there is DNA, it doesn’t matter how old a case is, or whether it seemed hopeless in the past, there is technology here today that works and is able to bring answers to families,” said Kristen Mittelman, chief development officer for Othram.''