Category: Highlights

In January 1984, the body of an unidentified woman was discovered at a landfill in Tarrant County, Texas. Investigators determined she had died prior to being transported there, but despite extensive efforts, her identity remained unknown for more than four decades. Biological evidence collected during the original investigation was preserved, allowing for reanalysis as forensic technology advanced. In 2025, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office outsourced multiple preserved evidence items to a forensic laboratory vendor to perform Forensic Genetic Genealogy, which produced a comprehensive DNA profile suitable for genealogical analysis. This profile generated new investigative leads, including a potential familial connection to the Hinson surname. Investigators located a potential relative whose sister, Joyce Ann Hinson, had not been heard from since late 1983. A DNA sample enabled kinship testing, confirming the individuals were full siblings. To further verify the identification, investigators compared partial postmortem fingerprints with a 1981 arrest record, conclusively confirming the woman’s identity as Joyce Ann Hinson. After more than 42 years, the identification restores her name and provides long-awaited resolution for her family. The forensic work in this case was supported through funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program.

On October 12, 1985, an unidentified man was attacked outside of a liquor store in Fort Worth, Texas. Two individuals approached him, stole his wallet, and stabbed him in the chest. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died during surgery. At the time, the victim had no identification, and his identity could not be determined. Investigators documented the victim’s physical characteristics, clothing, and other identifying details and shared postmortem photographs with the public. Two suspects were subsequently arrested following a Crime Stoppers tip and later stated they had targeted the victim because he was unfamiliar in the neighborhood, luring him to the location before the attack. Despite these investigative efforts, the victim remained unidentified and was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as an unidentified person case. In 2024, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office submitted evidence from the case for advanced DNA testing which yielded the development of a DNA profile suitable for Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG). Investigative leads to potential genetic relatives were generated, enabling the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office to begin outreach. Investigators reached a potential close relative who immediately recognized the case as that of her missing uncle, Barry Thompson, who had disappeared in 1985. A reference DNA sample was collected from the potential close relative, and the comparison confirmed the victim’s identity as Barry Thompson. This case resolution was supported by a cold case review initiative funded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program.