In 1987, the remains of an unidentified man were discovered in Tarrant County, Texas. Despite investigative efforts, the individual could not be identified, and the case remained unresolved for decades. In 2024, as part of a cold case review initiative funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted a biological sample for advanced DNA testing and Forensic Genetic Genealogy. The DNA profile was uploaded to a genealogy database, where it produced matches to potential relatives and generated investigative leads. Outreach efforts and follow-up investigation identified family members, including a relative who reported a missing family member from 1987. Investigators then obtained historical fingerprint records associated with the individual and confirmed a match, establishing the decedent’s identity as Shirlee Lewis Henkel, a U.S. Air Force veteran reported missing from Colorado in 1987. Henkel was officially identified on June 25, 2025, and his family was notified the following day. His cremated remains were later located and returned to his family in April 2026, providing long-awaited resolution nearly four decades after his death.
