‘Oakland John Doe’ identified after 22 years

(KRON) — A 22-year-old Oakland mystery was recently solved using advances in DNA technology.

In September 2003, a man’s lifeless body was found floating in the water under a bridge by Dennison Street that connects Coast Guard Island to Oakland, according to DNA Solves. His skeletal remains and clothing were collected, however, investigators were unable to identify him at the time.

“Despite a lengthy investigation, the man could not be identified and he became known as Oakland John Doe. In April of 2017, details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP16539, and decades passed with no answers,” DNASolves.com wrote.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office sent forensic evidence to Othram DNA lab in Texas last year to determine if advanced testing could help figure out who “Oakland John Doe” was. Othram’s forensic team conducted a genetic genealogy search to develop new leads in the case, and investigators were able to find a relative who matched the man’s DNA profile.

He was positively identified as New York native Robert Craig Whitsett.

“Even when it’s a cold case, it’s time critical because surviving family members deserve to know what happened to their loved ones,” said Kristen Mittelman, chief development officer for Othram. “This is a powerful technology and it is delivering so many answers to so many people.”

The identification of Whitsett marks the 68th case in California in which Othram lab’s technology helped to identify people in cold cases.