Summit cold case: DNA technology could help identify man found in canal 20 years ago
Summit cold case: DNA technology could help identify man found in canal 20 years ago
It's been more than 20 years since a man was found dead in a suburban Chicago canal. Decades later, we still don't know who he is. Now investigators are hoping new technology and the public's help can finally crack the case.
CHICAGO - More than 20 years after a man’s body was found in a suburban Chicago canal, investigators are turning to newer DNA technology in hopes of identifying him.
Cold case in Summit
The backstory:
The man’s body was recovered from the Illinois and Michigan Canal in Summit on Jan. 3, 2005. The Cook County Medical Examiner determined he died by drowning, but his identity and the circumstances surrounding his death remain unknown.
Investigators with Moxxy Forensic Investigations are now using investigative genetic genealogy to help solve the cold case.
Unlike traditional DNA testing, which can compare a person’s DNA with a known sample or search certain databases for a match, investigative genetic genealogy combines forensic DNA analysis with genetic information and family history records to identify potential relatives.
Those connections can help investigators trace family trees and determine where an unidentified person may fit.
Investigators believe the man was between 50 and 65 years old when he died. He was approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall, with graying hair and a mustache. Preliminary genealogical findings suggest he may have West Asian or Eastern Mediterranean ancestry.
Investigators also believe he may have had ties to Chicago’s North or Northwest Sides. Those findings are preliminary and have not confirmed his identity.
What you can do:
One challenge is the limited representation of some communities in genetic databases, which can make it more difficult to establish family connections.
Investigators are asking anyone who recognizes the man’s description or remembers someone who disappeared from their family, neighborhood, workplace, church or community to come forward.
Even a small detail, such as a nickname, former address, workplace or relative, could help investigators identify the man and potentially reunite him with family members who may still be searching for answers.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Moxxy Forensic Investigations.
The Source: The information in this report came from Moxxy Forensic Investigations, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office and investigative details provided by the organizations.