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Tag: MUHR

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Get the Coast

Skeletal remains found in Miramar Beach identified as Niceville 19-year-old missing since 2015

Skeletal remains discovered in Miramar Beach, Florida in October 2022 have been positively identified as Jacob Lyon, a 19-year-old from Niceville, Florida who went missing in late 2015. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Niceville Police Department announced the identification after DNA analysis performed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) matched the remains to family reference samples obtained from Lyon’s family nearly a decade earlier. Lyon was last seen in late 2015 and officially reported missing by his mother on February 1, 2016, the same day he was entered into state and national missing person databases. DNA confirmation from FDLE came on January 21, 2026, bringing long-awaited news to the family. Investigators emphasized that while the identification provides partial closure, the case is now an active death investigation. Evidence found near the remains will undergo further analysis as part of continued investigative efforts.
January 2026
Forensics TTA

A Guide to Resources for Unidentified Human Remains Investigations

Every year, thousands of unidentified human remains (UHRs) are found across the United States, which poses a challenge for the law enforcement and medical examiners/coroners tasked with identifying these individuals and resolving the cases. UHR investigations are complex and require specialized skills and resources, such as forensic anthropology, DNA analysis, fingerprint record searches, dental coding and comparisons, facial reconstruction, and the use of missing persons databases and investigative resources. However, many agencies lack the necessary training, equipment, funding, or personnel to conduct these investigations effectively and efficiently. As a result, many UHR cases remain unresolved for years or decades, leaving families and communities without resolution and justice. This guide aims to provide agencies with information on federal programs and other organizational resources that offer support to these types of investigations.
December 2025
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Highlights

Timely Case Entry Leads to Rapid Identification in an Arizona Unidentified Human Remains Case

On March 31, 2025, unidentified human remains were discovered near a campsite in Payson, Arizona (Gila County). Despite a thorough investigation, local law enforcement and the Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office were initially unable to determine the individual’s identity. 

On May 12, 2025, the Pinal County Medical Examiner entered the case into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), a national database designed to support the identification of missing and unidentified individuals. The entry included detailed descriptions and photographs of the clothing found with the decedent, including a shirt, sweatshirt, and hat. Within 24 hours of the case appearing on NamUs’ public-facing site, concerned citizens began sharing the information on Facebook. By May 14, 2025, tips were coming in to both law enforcement and the medical examiner’s office — including one from friends of a man who had been living unhoused in the area. They recognized the clothing from the NamUs post and contacted authorities, reporting they had lost contact with him nearly three years prior.

The Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office obtained dental records for the individual, which were then compared to the postmortem dental records of the unidentified decedent. This comparison confirmed a positive identification, restoring the individual’s name and identity. Next of kin were subsequently located and notified.

While this identification was not directly funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) grant to Pinal County, it powerfully illustrates one of the core objectives of the MUHR Program: the rapid entry of cases into databases like NamUs to aid in identification. This case demonstrates the impact of timely data sharing, the value of public engagement, and the critical role of collaboration and accessible tools in helping bring resolution to families and communities.

August 2025
Forensics TTA

Unidentified Human Remains Investigations 101

Facilitated by the Forensics TTA Team, this webinar features guest speakers Lara Newell from the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and Senior Special Agent Douglas R. Hubert from the Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation. They provide an overview of how to navigate unidentified human remains investigations from both the medical examiner and law enforcement perspectives. Specifically, the presenters discuss the intricacies of the investigative process, considerations for available evidence, and how to utilize national organizations for assistance. Attendees also examine a case that originated in 1987 and explore how advancements in forensic technology and investigative methods would significantly change the way the case is approached today.
July 2025
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Air Force veteran identified from DNA 37 years after his death in Tarrant County

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.
June 2025
Events

3rd Annual BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting

On behalf of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Forensics Training and Technical Assistance (Forensics TTA) Team, led by RTI International, is hosting the 3rd Annual BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting on June 9-10, 2025! 

This year’s virtual meeting will offer a series of educational case studies and sessions, covering key topics of significant interest to grantees across the BJA Forensics Programs. These include the application of forensic genetic genealogy in wrongful conviction investigations, innovative strategies for solving long-term missing and unidentified person cases, the evolving legal landscape for forensic evidence in light of Smith v. Arizona, implementing Rapid DNA technology in accordance with upcoming standards updates, the impact of turnaround times on death investigations, essential grant management practices, and more.

Program-specific breakout discussions will also be featured to provide grantees with a unique opportunity to learn more from respective BJA staff and other grantees. 

June 2025
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Highlights

Remains recovered in 2007 identified as diver who went missing in Florida, deputies say

Using funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program awarded to Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), and the work of FDLE’s Genetic Genealogy Investigations team, Volusia Sheriff’s Office detectives were provided a lead in 2025 for an unidentified human remains case that originated in 2007 after a diver went missing while off the coast of Ponce Inlet, Florida. With the help of the Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office and funding from the MUHR Program grant, the recovered remains were DNA sequenced and databased, after which FDLE’s Genetic Genealogy Investigations team conducted extensive analytical and genetic genealogy research. Their research resulted in an investigative lead that ultimately led to the positive identification of the victim—providing answers in a case that had remained unresolved for nearly two decades.
June 2025
Forensics TTA

2025 Forensics TTA Calendar of National Events

The Forensics TTA calendar of events provides a centralized view of national conferences, trainings, and other events of interest to BJA Forensics Program grantees. This calendar is a downloadable resource designed to assist grantees with effective planning of event attendance when supported by BJA Forensics Program funding. Event entries are color coded by event type – conferences, trainings, and other (e.g., meetings, convenings). Clicking on a color-coded event entry produces a pop-up box which provides information including its name, date(s), and location along with a direct link to the event’s main page for additional details such as the agenda and registration, travel, and lodging information. Questions about applying or utilizing BJA funding to attend any events presented on this calendar should be directed to your assigned BJA Policy and Programs Office representatives. Explore the calendar today and contact the Forensics TTA team via ForensicsTTA@rti.org with any questions or suggestions for ensuring this resource best fits your needs!
May 2025
Forensics TTA

University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI) Resources Webinar

This webinar focuses on the resources offered for missing and unidentified persons cases through the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification (UNTCHI). Presented by UNTHCHI team members Mark Pooley, Dixie Peters, and Robert Moore, this webinar includes guidance on submitting samples for DNA analysis, utilizing Forensic Genetic Genealogy in your casework, and accessing UNTCHI resources for sexually motivated Jane and John Doe homicide cases and indigenous missing and unidentified persons cases.
April 2025