Weld County Sheriff's Office identifies remains of unsolved case from Valentine's Day 2000 – Greeley Tribune

The Weld County Sheriff's Office has identified the remains of a man whose identity had remained a mystery for nearly a quarter century.

Using forensic genetic genealogy – a process combining DNA analysis with traditional genealogical research – the sheriff's office identified John Doe 2000 as the Christopher Scott case, according to a press release from the agency.

Case's body was found on Valentine's Day in 2000 when a man walking his dog in a field near East 8th Street and Weld County Road 43 east of Greeley came across Case's remains .

Police investigated at the time and found no evidence of foul play.

Shortly after the body was discovered, the remains were sent to an anthropologist, who determined that Case was a white man, 5 feet 4 inches tall and between 35 and 50 years old. The anthropologist could not determine Case's weight but believed he had a tattoo on the center of his back.

No cause of death could be determined at this time due to the man's “advanced state of decomposition,” according to the release.

In 2022, investigators conducted a forensic genealogy with DNA from the man's remains, which led police to possible relatives in Nevada. The relatives voluntarily submitted their DNA for confirmation, according to police.

In December, genealogy genetic testing results came back and police tentatively identified the man as Case. Additional testing confirmed the remains belonged to Case, according to the affidavit.

Before his death, Case lived in Rock Springs, Wyoming, according to police. He was last seen in 1998 by his half-brother in Nevada.

“Regardless of the passage of time, our commitment to resolving all unsolved cases remains unwavering,” the agency said in the statement. “In unsolved cases like Christopher's, we tirelessly pursue investigative leads, employ forensic tools and hope that he is identified, so that his story can be told and his loved ones can find peace in obtaining the answers they deserve. »