Project 525 is for unidentified kids, but we need your help!

[Tricia]

Dear Websleuths Members and Guests,
Othram, the leading forensic sequencing laboratory for law enforcement, is proud to announce Project 525.
Teaming up with the National Missing and Unidentified Person's System, AKA NamUs, Othram is determined to find the identity of 525 children and return them to their families!
Othram's Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing (FGGS) has been instrumental in solving missing cases in all jurisdictions in the U.S. and worldwide.
Can you imagine not knowing what happened to your child? Imagining this horrible scenario makes me sick to my stomach. I can't begin to fathom if I had to deal with this terrible situation in real life.
In reality, the loved ones of the 525 missing children go through this nightmare every minute of every day.
With your help, we can help ease the pain of these families.
If you could make a donation by CLICKING THIS LINK you will be helping find the children of Project 525!
Othram has cutting-edge technology: scientists who are in the top of their field, and a highly skilled research team to make Project 525 a reality.
You too can be a part of this incredible mission by donating.
To find out more about Project 525 CLICK HERE

Thank you,

Tricia Griffith/Manager Websleuths.com

 

[othram]

Thank you, @Tricia! We are going to chronicle each solve announcement, all 525, right here in this group. Thanks to everyone that has supported us so far. For those that want to support us, here is the link: Stripe Checkout.

For those that cannot contribute, but want to help in other ways, share the news of each solve on social media and elsewhere!

Yesterday we announced our first Project 525 case solve: Othram helped the Mississippi State Medical Examiner & Mississippi Bureau of Investigation identify 17-year-old Stephen Shawn Austin, who vanished in 1997.

A Missing El Paso Teen is Identified 27 Years Later

Mississippi State Medical Examiner & Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Team with Othram to Identify a John Doe

dnasolves.com

524 child cases to go!

 

[DS2021]

@othram have you already chosen the 524 other cases? Im not asking you to publicly share them. Im just curious if the list is established

 

[othram]

@othram have you already chosen the 524 other cases? Im not asking you to publicly share them. Im just curious if the list is established

So far we have funding for about 100 cases. We are working on getting more funding and still working on prioritizing cases. If you or anyone has suggestions for cases we should look at, please send all suggestions to solve@othram.com and we will take a look!

 

[dotr]

Thank you, @Tricia! We are going to chronicle each solve announcement, all 525, right here in this group. Thanks to everyone that has supported us so far. For those that want to support us, here is the link: Stripe Checkout.

For those that cannot contribute, but want to help in other ways, share the news of each solve on social media and elsewhere!

Yesterday we announced our first Project 525 case solve: Othram helped the Mississippi State Medical Examiner & Mississippi Bureau of Investigation identify 17-year-old Stephen Shawn Austin, who vanished in 1997.

A Missing El Paso Teen is Identified 27 Years Later

Mississippi State Medical Examiner & Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Team with Othram to Identify a John Doe

dnasolves.com

524 child cases to go!

Are threads for each of the children to be posted here on this thread, or on the main Othram thread?

S

Found Deceased Thread 'TX - Stephen Shawn Austin, 17, El Paso, 19 Aug 1997'

Feb 9, 2008

Missing Since: August 19, 1997 from El Paso, Texas
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: September 22, 1979
Age: 17 years old
Height and Weight: 6'1, 140 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Austin has scars on both sides of his neck and on his nose. His right ear is pierced. Austin's nickname is Steve. ...

• SheWhoMustNotBeNamed
• Replies: 11
• Forum: Located Persons Discussion

• 

 

[othram]

Are threads for each of the children to be posted here on this thread, or on the main Othram thread?

S

Found Deceased Thread 'TX - Stephen Shawn Austin, 17, El Paso, 19 Aug 1997'

Feb 9, 2008

Missing Since: August 19, 1997 from El Paso, Texas
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: September 22, 1979
Age: 17 years old
Height and Weight: 6'1, 140 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Austin has scars on both sides of his neck and on his nose. His right ear is pierced. Austin's nickname is Steve. ...

• SheWhoMustNotBeNamed
• Replies: 11
• Forum: Located Persons Discussion

• 

Good question. We are going to announce the identifications on both threads, but not sure where we should link the threads to the cases. Maybe @Tricia has a suggestion.

 

[DS2021]

Good question. We are going to announce the identifications on both threads, but not sure where we should link the threads to the cases. Maybe @Tricia has a suggestion.

The threads could get edited into the inital announcement post

 

[Tricia]

I think it's a good idea to post the announcement here on this thread and in the person's discussion thread, so yes, two places.
This way, we can ensure that we keep the 525 in one place and track the progress.

 

[Melt71]

@othram will other cases be added to your list if they are newly added to Namus, for example this one www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ms-bolton-blkfem-15-25-1245ufms-shot-in-the-abdomen-prev-childbirth-or-abortion-jul99.356539/#post-19185801

 

[othram]

@othram will other cases be added to your list if they are newly added to Namus, for example this one www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ms-bolton-blkfem-15-25-1245ufms-shot-in-the-abdomen-prev-childbirth-or-abortion-jul99.356539/#post-19185801

Yes, we will do our best to get as many cases on the list as possible.

 

[CooperDyl]

Yes, we will do our best to get as many cases on the list as possible.

Love your work team.
Who would’ve thought 5, 10, 20 years ago that something like this project would ever be possible!

 

[othram]

Love your work team.
Who would’ve thought 5, 10, 20 years ago that something like this project would ever be possible!

Its amazing. We could not be more excited to be working on this project and sharing it with all of you.

 

[SluethinAway]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Can you please add this one! Been trying to match her for years!!!
I will be willing to talk to the local reporters that have worked on this case to get some media attention to it and donations.

 

[borndem]

Glad things are coming together.

 

[Darling136]

Yesterday we announced our first Project 525 case solve: Othram helped the Mississippi State Medical Examiner & Mississippi Bureau of Investigation identify 17-year-old Stephen Shawn Austin, who vanished in 1997.

A Missing El Paso Teen is Identified 27 Years Later

Mississippi State Medical Examiner & Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Team with Othram to Identify a John Doe

dnasolves.com

We have a case for Stephen and have now accordingly flagged the resolution

S

Found Deceased Thread 'TX - Stephen Shawn Austin, 17, El Paso, 19 Aug 1997'

Feb 9, 2008

Missing Since: August 19, 1997 from El Paso, Texas
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Date Of Birth: September 22, 1979
Age: 17 years old
Height and Weight: 6'1, 140 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: African-American male. Black hair, brown eyes. Austin has scars on both sides of his neck and on his nose. His right ear is pierced. Austin's nickname is Steve. ...

• SheWhoMustNotBeNamed
• Replies: 11
• Forum: Located Persons Discussion

• 

 

[othram]

Second Project 525 case solved:

Honored that Othram could assist the Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner and Honolulu Police Department in identifying a little girl now known to be Mary Sue Fink, born April 29, 1959. Her remains were not found until 2014. This is the second child case solved as part of Project 525 and we thank RTI/NIJ/NamUs for funding the casework.

After a decade, Honolulu Jane Doe (2014) is now Identified

Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner and Honolulu Police Department Team with Othram to Identify a 2014 Jane Doe

dnasolves.com

 

[dotr]

Second Project 525 case solved:

Honored that Othram could assist the Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner and Honolulu Police Department in identifying a little girl now known to be Mary Sue Fink, born April 29, 1959. Her remains were not found until 2014. This is the second child case solved as part of Project 525 and we thank RTI/NIJ/NamUs for funding the casework.

After a decade, Honolulu Jane Doe (2014) is now Identified

Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner and Honolulu Police Department Team with Othram to Identify a 2014 Jane Doe

dnasolves.com

D

Identified! Post in thread 'HI - UnkRaceFemale, 2-6, Inside Metal Receptacle in Box, Honolulu, 29 June 2014 - Mary Sue Fink'

Dec 26, 2024

Her NamUs page has been removed.

I wonder if @othram has worked on this case?

Honolulu hopes to unravel mysteries of long-unclaimed bodies using advanced DNA testing

Forensic pathologists hope advanced DNA testing technology will enable them to attach names to all the unidentified people at the Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office.

www.cbsnews.com

One case is connected to a 2014 homicide, so the medical examiners office declined to provide information while the investigation continues.

You were right! ID'd as Mary Sue Fink.

After a decade, Honolulu Jane Doe (2014) is now Identified

Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner and Honolulu Police Department Team with Othram to Identify a 2014 Jane Doe

dnasolves.com

She had been there since the 1960s, it seems.

One case connected to a 2014 homicide....Mary Sue's remains were found in 2014.

• Deleted member 306806

• 

 

[Keiri]

There are several missing children in Milwaukee who vanished when they were very, very young. Sensitive crimes is trying to compare dna they got from family members to living people, believed to be the kidnapped children, who are now grown. Would this meet the criteria?

 

[othram]

There are several missing children in Milwaukee who vanished when they were very, very young. Sensitive crimes is trying to compare dna they got from family members to living people, believed to be the kidnapped children, who are now grown. Would this meet the criteria?

Yes.

 

[othram]

Third case!

Honored that Othram could assist the New Haven Police Department in identifying Andrea Reyes, who was kidnapped in 1999. This case was funded through Project 525.

The 1999 Kidnapping of Andrea Reyes is Now Solved

New Haven Police Department Teams with Othram to Solve the 1999 Kidnapping of a Toddler

dnasolves.com