Description: On April 6, 2006, the skeletal remains of a man were found at the base of cliffs above Henry Hudson Drive within the Palisades Interstate Park in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He was estimated to be between 44-64 years old and approximately 5’9” tall with light brown hair and a scar above...
dnadoeproject.org
On April 6, 2006, the skeletal remains of a man were found at the base of cliffs above Henry Hudson Drive within the Palisades Interstate Park in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He was estimated to be between 44-64 years old and approximately 5’9” tall with light brown hair and a scar above his left eye. He was missing an upper front tooth and had previous fractures to his face and right ribs. There was evidence of bone fusion in his left hip, possibly causing him to limp. The man most likely suffered from arthritis and back pain due to several collapsed and fused vertebrae.
A black and silver Field and Stream watch and a silver Pierre Cardin watch were found with the remains.
DNA Doe Project is thrilled to announce a new affiliation with Ramapo College of New Jersey. The inaugural class of the
Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center online IGG certificate program will take the lead on the investigative genetic genealogy for this case, along with one other case of unidentified human remains from the state of New Jersey.
This affiliation fortifies our commitment to leadership in the field of IGG through strategic partnerships that strengthen the model for the ethical and proficient practice of investigative genetic genealogy.
A partnership between Ramapo College and the Palisades Interstate Park Police could pave the way to identifying decade-plus old human remains.
www.northjersey.com
Mystery of human remains found in Bergen years ago could be solved by Ramapo students
It's been 17 years since the skeletal remains of a man were found inside the Palisades Interstate Park in Fort Lee. In the time since, the man has remained a John Doe — unidentified and a mystery. But a new partnership between the park's police department and Ramapo College means an identification could be coming soon.
The remains found in Fort Lee are one of two sets found in the park since 2006. The other was found in 2011 and was believed to have washed up on the shore of the Hudson River, according to the DNA Doe Project, which is now affiliated with Ramapo College's new Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center.
Investigative genetic genealogy, also called forensic genealogy, is still a relatively new practice that uses DNA from publicly accessible databases to build out family trees through public records that are then used to identify both human remains and criminal suspects. The most well-known example of the practice solving a case is when it was used in to identify the Golden State Killer, a serial killer responsible for at least 13 murders in the 1970s and 80s, who remained unknown for decades before being charged in 2018.
Ramapo's center launched a 15-week online certificate program that teaches the practice, and the students of its inaugural class, which started in February, will be tasked with identifying the remains found in the Palisades Interstate Park and finally solve the mystery, as well as other cases in Arizona.
"I can't predict the future," said Cairenn Binder, the director of the certificate program. "But I hope that they'll be able to identify the John Doe from New Jersey whose DNA we already have."
Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Deputy Chief Jesse Cohen said his ultimate goal is to bring closure to the families of the two decedents.
"To bring closure to a family for a missing loved that's been lost for so many years I think is very important," he said.
This is the first time the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police have used investigative genetic genealogy. Cohen said the department first heard of the DNA Doe Project, which has used genealogy to identify previously unidentified human remains across the country. But while forensic genealogy seems to be an effective tool, it's not cheap. When the department learned that affiliating with the Ramapo center could help secure funding to identify the remains, a partnership became a natural fit.
"They were willing to fund the process of doing genetic genealogy for our cases," Cohen said. "We're taking the right steps to identify these cases."
Cohen also acknowledged that if genetic genealogy can successfully identify the two remains, it could catch the attention of more law enforcement agencies who have not used it before.
